A federal judge wants to hear more about allegations inmates were severely beaten by guards at North Carolina’s Central Prison. Eight inmates filed suit alleging guards at the prison would take the handcuffed prisoners out of sight of security cameras and beat them.

Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Terrence Boyle ordered that the case will go forward, after the state had asked the case be dismissed. Lawyers for North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services will now have access to state records and be allowed to conduct interviews with prison staff in preparation for the upcoming trial.

One lawyer, Elizabeth Simpson, says, “What he said, is that we have presented enough that we should be able to get discovery and we should be able to have a chance to prove our case. What the state wanted to do was to shut it down. And Judge Boyle said no, let’s go forward, let’s find out what happened.”

The lawsuit alleges officers beat inmates, resulting in inmate injuries that include broken bones, concussions, and a shattered hip.