DARTHMOUTH, MA (WBZ-AM) -- Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson is being sued by civil rights attorneys, who are accusing him of unlawfully detaining an immigrant for nearly three weeks.
The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice claims Moises Rivas was jailed for 18 days on charges stemming from a domestic dispute.
The suit says when Rivas' family tried to bail him out, the jail refused because he was wanted by immigration authorities.
Latham & Watkins attorney Kenneth Parsigian, who represents Mr. Rivas, says that refusal violates state law.
“They had a big sign to make sure no one made a mistake, that said all capital letters- do not release Moises Rivas. Here he is with a legal right to be released, with the SJC having ruled that he could not be held on the basis of an ICE detainer.”
Sheriff Hodgson is calling the allegations completely false and unethical.
WBZ NewsRadio1030 Kim Tunnicliffe reports.