Closing Arguments Scheduled In Hunger Strike Case

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) A Connecticut judge is scheduled to hear closing arguments Tuesday in the case of an inmate on a hunger strike who's been force-fed by prison officials.

The state's Department of Correction is seeking a court order allowing it to continue force-feeding William Coleman. But Coleman, a British citizen, says the feedings violate his free speech rights and right to deny medical treatment.

Coleman has been on a hunger strike for over two years, accepting only fluids for most of that time. He's protesting his conviction for a 2002 rape and what he calls a corrupt judicial system.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing Coleman, says he's been force-fed at least 12 times since September 2008. DOC says, by law, the state must ensure the physical well-being of prisoners.