Matthew E. Davidson, Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction of Justice, Alabama 2012

A former Alabama corrections officer has pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of an inmate and obstructing justice.

Matthew E. Davidson, a former corrections officer of the Alabama Department of Corrections, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Montgomery, Ala., to two counts of violating the civil rights of a former inmate at Ventress Correctional Facility in Clayton, Ala., and to one count of conspiring with other corrections officers to obstruct justice by covering up the incident.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred at the Ventress prison on Aug. 4, 2010, when an inmate, 24-year-old Rocrast Mack, was severely beaten, suffered significant injuries and died the following day in a Montgomery hospital.

Davidson admitted that he tackled Mack on the prison yard and punched Mack in the head and upper torso area several times. After this beating on the prison yard, Davidson and former corrections officer Scottie Glenn, who pleaded guilty to similar charges in November 2011, escorted Mack in handcuffs to an office at the prison, knowing that Mack would be beaten again.

Davidson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the civil rights violations and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the obstruction of justice related violation when he is sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Myron H. Thompson.

“Mr. Davidson admitted that he participated in, and attempted to cover up, the brutal and ultimately fatal assaults of Rocrast Mack,” said Assistant Attorney General Perez. “The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute corrections officers who violate the constitutional rights of inmates, and who then use their official position to try to cover up their crimes.”

On March 8, 2012, former corrections officers Michael Smith and Joseph Sanders were also charged with felony civil rights violations, obstruction of justice-related violations and false statements violations. Their trial is scheduled to begin on June 10, 2013. Assistant Attorney General Perez and U.S. Attorney Beck emphasized that an indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/former-alabama-corrections-officer-pleads-guilty-civil-rights-violations-and-obstruction