A local attorney is adding another person to his case.

Gary Logsdon plans to file for another plaintiff to be added to his class action suit. Logsdon is adding Ronda Keabler to his argument after she claimed to have a social security disabilities check taken from her while an inmate in Warren County Regional Jail.

“I didn’t sign a power of attorney or anything for the jail to use my signature, so I didn’t think it was right,” said Keabler. “There is nothing legal about taking a check from an individual and endorsing that check without that’s person authorization or authority, permission or otherwise,” said Logsdon. Logsdon filed the class action suit in December claiming the jail was unlawfully endorsing and misusing inmates checks. Now, the newest part of his case deals with a federal check.

“The benefits are sacrosanct. They are strictly for the person to whom the checks are directed,” said Logsdon. Logsdon cites his argument in a law pertaining to the social security act that congress passed more than 70 years ago. “They are not to be intercepted, they are not to be seized, not to be executed on, not to be garnished, not to be taken in anyway,” said Logsdon.

Local attorney Mike Breen who deals with social security cases said a judge is going to have to make a decision. “Is there some law, regulation, or rule that would allow a jailer to take any sort of a check from an inmate, and place into a commissary fund or to a bank account, and if there is no such law or regulation, then what is the legal basis for the jailer doing that,” said Breen.

Both Logsdon and Keabler believe the jail is overstepping its authority. “I just think that they take their authority to an extreme in there,” said Keabler.

WBKO contacted Jailer Jackie Strode, who said he could not comment due to pending litigation. The Social Security Administration’s public affairs office in Atlanta responded to the issue saying “only the persons name whose name is on the social security check can cash the check.” Also, it said if anyone has concerns with social security checks to contact them immediately at 1-800-772-1213.