JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Duval County judge has continued a hearing that could determine whether video and records tied to the in-custody death of Charles Faggart will be released.
Faggart’s family filed a lawsuit against the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in April seeking the unredacted release of records and video connected to his death. More than a year later, they say they are still searching for answers.
During a hearing Monday, attorneys for the Sheriff’s Office argued the records should remain exempt from public release because they are tied to an ongoing federal investigation.
Attorneys representing Faggart’s family pushed back, noting that the Sheriff’s Office has already completed its own investigation into the case. They argued the agency had not shown enough evidence to prove releasing the records would interfere with the FBI’s investigation.
The family’s legal team also suggested alternatives to address concerns raised by the Sheriff’s Office, including redacting certain information or limiting viewing of the video to family members.
A key point of discussion centered on the FBI’s absence from the hearing.
An attorney with the Sheriff’s Office told the court they had requested a representative connected to the federal investigation appear at Monday’s hearing, but that request was declined. The judge questioned when the public and the family might get more clarity on the case.
“I don’t diminish your department’s role,” the judge said. “I’m just asking when are we going to have a handle on this?”
The Sheriff’s Office has maintained that the active federal investigation is enough to continue withholding the records.
The family’s attorney argued the wait for answers has gone on long enough.
“This family is anxious for answers,” the family’s attorney said. “They have been patiently waiting for well over a year with not a single answer to any question that they have. Their son was handed to them, chained to a bed, bloodied and beaten, and we have no answers. And it’s only just that they have the information necessary to know what happened to their son.”
The judge did not rule on whether the records should be released. Instead, he granted a continuance, giving both sides more time to argue their positions.
There is still no timeline for when the federal investigation will be completed, and a new hearing date has not yet been set.
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