Former Sheriff being sued in Federal court

Robinson, along with four deputies, is accused of violating the civil rights of Gary and Laura Valentine during a 2008 incident involving William Narens, who is Laura’s son and Gary’s stepson.

Narens and his daughter Iris were living with the Valentines while Narens and his wife, Chrisalena Narens, were going through a divorce. Both William and Chrisalena filed papers seeking custody of their daughter who was five years old at the time. William filed for custody in Barrow County. Chrisalena filed in her home county in Galveston, Texas.

In April of 2008, Judge Joseph Booth ordered that Iris would remain with William Narens until further order of the Texas court.

The following month, the Texas court granted temporary custody of Iris to Chrisalena. The order was appealed and never signed, but a copy of the order was sent to Chrisalena’s attorney in Georgia.

According to the Valentines, Chrisalena’s Georgia attorney contacted the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office and asked deputies to execute the unsigned order and take physical custody of Iris Narens.

Because the order had not been signed and had not been filed with a court in Georgia, the Valentines’ attorney maintains the order was not a valid or enforceable court order.

According to court documents, four Barrow County Sheriff’s deputies, while in the employ and under the supervision of Joel Robinson, arrested both Laura and Gary Valentine and made “an unreasonable search and seizure” of their property and persons during what is described as a false detention and confinement.

The Valentines allege that the deputies unlawfully attempted to execute and enforce a court order which they should have known was not valid. The lawsuit charges that the Valentines were “deprived of both their liberty without due process of law and their right to equal protection of laws” in violation of the 5th and 14th Amendments.

As Sheriff, Robinson is accused of failing to “instruct, supervise, control and discipline” his deputies. The attorney for the Valentines, Thomas Camp, claims Robinsons’ acts caused the Valentines to suffer physical injuries, loss of income and severe mental anguish.

The Valentines have requested a trial by jury and are seeking punitive and actual damages plus attorney fees and other court costs.