Santa Barbara, Calif. – In response to the Ely Attorneys Press Conference that was held today, Sheriff Brown has issued the following statement:

“Unlike the plaintiff’s attorneys in this case, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and the County of Santa Barbara takes seriously our professional obligation to avoid undue pretrial publicity about this matter since it is currently in litigation.  It is important to remember that the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ allegations are just that – allegations, not facts. We will respond to these allegations later, and at the appropriate place, the District Court.”