ORANGE : City Plans Suit Over Branch Jail Inmates

The City Council unanimously voted to initiate legal action against Sheriff Brad Gates this week in an effort to block county plans to house maximum-security prisoners at Theo Lacy Branch Jail.

After a closed meeting Tuesday night, city officials contended that Gates had violated state law by suddenly introducing 48 maximum-security inmates into the jail in April.

Gates failed to give the public time to review the county plan to transfer the maximum-security prisoners to Theo Lacy, Orange City Atty. Robert Franks said.

City officials say there are now more than 60 maximum-security prisoners at the 1,326-bed facility. Before April, the jail typically housed medium- and minimum-security prisoners.

“We had to take some sort of action,” Mayor Gene Beyer said Wednesday. “We are getting trampled on by the sheriff.”

The introduction of maximum-security prisoners at Theo Lacy incensed city leaders, who accused Gates of breaking a verbal promise to keep such inmates out of Orange.

The Sheriff’s Department has denied that such a promise was ever made and points out a county study issued in April providing ample legal justification for the transfers to Theo Lacy. Sheriff’s officials add that if the transfers are not allowed, the county will be forced to release criminals well before their sentences are scheduled to expire. The county jail system is suffering from extreme overcrowding, sheriff’s officials say.

Officials with the Sheriff’s Department were unavailable Wednesday for comment about the potential lawsuit.

Orange lost a costly two-year legal battle with the county in 1993 when it tried to prevent an increase in Theo Lacy’s jail population.

City officials expect to file the lawsuit Friday.