In 2023, news reports exposed a years-long pattern of torture, extreme violence, and other abusive practices by deputies in the Sheriff’s Office to coerce confessions and manufacture evidence for criminal prosecutions. These deputies, who called themselves the “Goon Squad,” were responsible for profound suffering by the local community, including numerous wrongful convictions.  

Following the revelations, the ACLU of MS, the Center for Constitutional Rights and the ACLU SSCI filed a request under the Mississippi Public Records Act for records related to the Rankin County District Attorney’s Office, which was responsible for criminally prosecuting many of the cases tainted by the Goon Squad. The June 2025 request sought records relating to any actions the office took in response to the misconduct revelations. The office initially refused to disclose any documents related to its response to the misconduct revelations, and later disclosed only one email with a journalist, in violation of the state’s public records law.