An attorney for Hank "Tommy" Croslin Jr. has asked a judge to prohibit any investigators from interviewing him without notifying his attorney.
In court documents filed today, attorney James Werter said that Croslin, who was transferred to the Putnam County jail last week, was interrogated by Putnam County investigators and denied an attorney.
He was told "that he did not need an attorney and that the attorney of record and his private investigator were 'rat-ing' him out," according to the motion.
Croslin is the brother of Misty Croslin, who was watching 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings before her disappearance in February 2009 in Satsuma. Both Croslins and Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings, are in jail awaiting sentencing on prescription drug charges.
Werter declined commenting beyond the court filings.
The court documents said that officers berated Croslin Jr., accused him of murdering Haleigh and threatened to spread false information to other prisoners to cause him physical harm.
The motion also asks a judge for an order that the investigators appear in court to say why they shouldn't be held in contempt for civil rights violations.
Maj. Gary Bowling with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said he couldn't comment on the issue because of that request, but he said the department will speak with the court if asked to do so.
He was being held in jail in St. Johns County until last week to keep him away from a co-defendant, Putnam County officials said at the time. He pleaded no contest on June 3 to trafficking hydrocodone and no longer needed to be held separately, according to the Sheriff's Office.
He was being held in protective custody but is now in general population in Putnam County, according to the court documents.
A hearing is scheduled for July 16.
