Kobe and Gianna Bryant were among nine people who died in the January 26 helicopter crash in the mountains west of Los Angeles.

Vanessa Bryant, the widow of late NBA star Kobe Bryant, filed a legal claim Friday against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department over graphic photos that deputies allegedly took and shared of the helicopter crash scene where her husband, 13-year-old daughter, Gigi, and seven others were killed in late January.

Former Tippah County, Miss., Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey Rogers, 35, pleaded guilty today to a one-count information charging him and former Deputy Sheriff William Rogers with violating the civil rights of an arrestee. William Rogers, 56, who is Jeffrey Rogers’ father, pleaded guilty on Jan. 20, 2009, to the same charge of violating the civil rights of an arrestee.

The Department filed a lawsuit against Harrison County Sheriff George Michael Deatrick, in his official capacity, alleging that he discriminated against current employee Deana Decker and former employee Melissa Graham, in the form of sexual harassment that resulted in a hostile work environment, and retaliation, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

A former corrections officer with the Lucas County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office was sentenced today to four years in prison for violating the civil rights of inmates in his custody at the Lucas County jail, as well as private citizens on the streets of the greater Toledo area. Today in federal district court in Toledo, Ohio, Judge Jack Zouhary also sentenced the former corrections officer, Seth Bunke, to three years of supervised release following the prison term.

Adam S. Pretti, 31, a former deputy with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Memphis, Tenn., to using excessive force during an encounter with a citizen. During his plea hearing, Pretti acknowledged that he abused his authority as a law enforcement officer when, in March 2006, he willfully and without justification used excessive force by striking a man in the head.

Four individuals have been indicted on charges of federal civil rights violations relating to the in-custody death of a detainee at the Lucas County Jail in Ohio and an alleged subsequent four-year cover-up of the role that jail personnel played in the death. The indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Toledo, Ohio, was returned today.

Ben Milner, a former deputy sheriff with the Choctaw County, Okla., Sheriff’s Department, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for violating the civil rights of a man during a traffic stop and the civil rights of two inmates at the Choctaw County Jail. The grand jury also indicted Milner on two counts of obstructing justice in connection with the incident involving the inmates.

Former Tippah County, Miss., Deputy Sheriff William Rogers and his son, former Tippah County Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey Rogers, were sentenced in federal court on April 30, 2009, for violating the civil rights of an arrestee by shooting him with a taser unnecessarily.

The Department today has entered into a consent decree that, if approved by the U.S District Court in Fort Myers, Fla., will resolve its complaint against the Sheriff of Hendry County, Fla., and the Hendry County Board of County Commissioners.

The Department today entered into a consent decree with Harrison County, Ind., Sheriff George Michael Deatrick, in his official capacity, the Harrison County Board of Commissioners and the Harrison County Council that, if approved by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, will resolve the Department’s complaint filed in March 2009 under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.

The Department today entered into a consent decree with the sheriff of Bryan County, Okla., that, if approved by the U.S. District Court in Muskogee, Okla., will resolve the Department’s employment discrimination complaint against the Sheriff, also filed today with the court.

Adam S. Pretti, a former deputy with the Shelby County, Tenn., Sheriff’s Office, was sentenced today in federal court in Memphis to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release for using excessive force during an encounter with a citizen. Pretti was also ordered to pay a $4,000 fine and a $100 special assessment.

Former Choctaw County, Okla., deputy sheriff Ben Westley Milner was found guilty today by a federal jury in Muskogee, Okla., of violating the civil rights of three men by assaulting them without legal justification. In one incident, which took place on Oct. 31, 2005, defendant Milner physically abused a truck driver following a traffic stop.

Steven W. Burgess, a former Jackson County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy, pleaded guilty in federal court today to violating the civil rights of a teenage girl whom he sexually assaulted in his patrol car.

"Over the years, I’ve been privileged to work with many of you, and, today, I’m proud to stand alongside each of you in answering our nation’s call to attain justice," said Attorney General Holder.

The Department has reached a settlement agreement with the Alameda County, Calif., Sheriff’s Office, under which it will provide sign language interpreters and other auxiliary aids and services to arrestees, detainees, suspects, victims, witnesses, complainants and visitors who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind at two jails.

Michael Shane Minich, 35, a former Lee County, Miss., Sheriff’s Deputy, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock, in Aberdeen, Miss., to depriving citizens of their civil rights under color of law by secretly removing cash from their wallets during traffic stops.

The United States has entered into a comprehensive, cooperative agreement with Cook County, Ill., and the Cook County Sheriff that resolves previous findings of unconstitutional conditions at the Cook County Jail.

Former Choctaw County, Okla., deputy sheriff Ben Westley Milner was sentenced today in Muskogee, Okla., to serve 18 months in prison and two years supervised release for violating the civil rights of three men by assaulting them without legal justification.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), Maricopa County, and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for refusing full cooperation with the department’s investigation of alleged national origin discrimination in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

A federal grand jury in Nashville, Tenn., today returned an indictment charging Hickman County, Tenn., Deputy Sheriff Kenneth H. Smith with federal civil rights violations, as well as charges of lying to federal investigators.

Oddie Tribble, a former police officer with the Kershaw County, S.C., Sherriff’s Office, was charged today with violating the civil rights of an arrestee on Aug. 5, 2010.

The Justice Department announced today that former Lucas County Sheriff’s Sergeant John E. Gray was sentenced today by Judge David A. Katz to three years in prison, followed by two years supervised release, for federal civil rights violations and records falsification relating to the in-custody death of a pretrial detainee at the Lucas County Jail.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Choctaw County, Miss., Sheriff’s Deputy Billy C. Scott Jr. with civil rights violations and obstructing justice.

A federal jury in Columbia, S.C., convicted Oddie Tribble, 51, a former police officer with the Kershaw County, S.C., Sherriff’s Office, of a civil rights violation for his use of excessive force on a man in his custody on Aug. 5, 2010.

A settlement agreement has been reached with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Columbus, Ohio, over the use of Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs), or electrically charged weapons commonly referred to by the brand name “TASER,” in its two jails, the Franklin County Corrections Centers.

A jury in St. Louis today convicted Vernon Wilson, 57, former chief deputy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, of violating the civil rights of four former inmates of the Washington County Jail on four separate occasions by beating two of the inmates and by arranging for the beatings of two other inmates.

The Justice Department announced today the arrest of Russell County Sheriff’s Office Detectives Kirby Dollar, 37, and Timothy Watford, 42.

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the Berkeley County, S.C., Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Wayne DeWitt for violating the First Amendment and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.

Oddie Tribble, 51, a former deputy sheriff with the Kershaw County, S.C., Sherriff’s Office, was sentenced to 63 month in prison and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie for using excessive force on a man in his custody on Aug. 5, 2010.

The Justice Department today announced that it has entered in to a court-enforceable agreement with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio resolving a longstanding dispute over access to information related to the department’s Title VI investigation of the sheriff’s office.

The Justice Department announced that former Hickman County Deputy Sheriff Kenneth H. Smith, 43, pleaded guilty today to violating the rights of two women by photographing parts of their unclothed bodies under the false pretense that those photographs were necessary for an official investigation.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), Alamance County and Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson seeking a judicial declaration that department attorneys may interview particular ACSO personnel outside the presence of ACSO’s counsel.

The Justice Department announced today that a federal grand jury in Birmingham, Ala., returned a three-count indictment charging former Tuscaloosa Sheriff’s sergeant, Althea Mallisham, 52, with federal civil rights crimes for using a stun gun on three jail detainees in 2008.

Kirby Dollar, 37, a former detective with the Russell County Sheriff’s Office, pleaded guilty in federal court in Montgomery, Ala., for his role in the assault of a handcuffed man.

The Department of Justice announced today that Neal Wayne “Bear” Groom, former sheriff of the Worth County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, pleaded guilty to depriving eight Missouri women of their civil rights by coercing the women to expose parts of their bodies to him, which was in violation of the Fourth Amendment prohibition against unreasonable seizures.

The Justice Department has opened a civil investigation into allegations of discriminatory policing by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) members based in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, Calif.

A federal jury in Opelika, Ala., has convicted a former deputy sheriff with the Russell County, Ala., Sheriff’s Office of a civil rights offense for his role in the assault of a handcuffed man.

Former Hickman County Deputy Sheriff Kenneth H. Smith was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Todd J. Campbell to 24 months in prison for civil rights and false statement charges.

Former Lincoln County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office Detective Scott Edwards, 49, of Troy, Mo. was indicted on civil rights charges for violating the constitutional rights of five women through acts of aggravated sexual abuse and sexual contact.

A federal grand jury sitting in Muskogee, Okla., returned an indictment today charging former Bryan County, Okla., Sheriff’s Lieutenant Kevin Bennett Holt, 48, of Achille, Okla., with federal civil rights violations and related acts of obstruction of justice.

Former Tuscaloosa, Ala., Sheriff’s Sergeant, Althea Mallisham, 52, pleaded guilty today in a federal court in Birmingham, Ala., to three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon while acting under color of law for wrongfully using a Taser during three separate incidents over a four month period in 2008.

The Department of Justice announced today that it has entered into a consent decree that, if approved by the court, will resolve the department’s claims that H.M. Grimmett, sheriff of Bolivar County, Miss., retaliated against Robert E. Brown, a former employee of the sheriff.

Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department today announced its findings in the ongoing civil rights investigation of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.