jail
-
Appeals court rules Fremont County must compensate victims of jail deputy’s sexual misconduct
—
by
Colorado’s second-highest court concluded last week that Fremont County is responsible for paying $128,357 to two women who were victims of a jail deputy’s sexual misconduct. Samantha Hudnall and Marisa Palmas sued former Deputy Brandon Lucero for violating their rights under the Colorado Constitution. Lucero failed to respond to the allegations and a trial judge…
-
10th Circuit, 2-1, rules ignoring emergency signal from jail detainees is clear constitutional violation
—
by
The Denver-based federal appeals court concluded on Monday that a jail employee can violate a detainee’s clear constitutional rights by ignoring an emergency distress signal, even if there is no further information about what kind of emergency exists. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit agreed Ralph Marcus Hardy…
-
Federal judge declines to dismiss disabled woman’s lawsuit against Elbert County
—
by
A federal judge rejected Elbert County’s attempt to dismiss a disability rights lawsuit against it earlier this month, after a woman alleged she sustained further injuries after being forced to walk home 8.8 miles from the jail overnight. Amy McCraken has a prosthetic limb from a prior leg amputation. She alleged a sheriff’s deputy stopped…
-
Federal judge green-lights trial against Denver Health, staff for death of elderly jail detainee
—
by
Five Denver Health employees and the organization itself will stand trial on claims that they provided a constitutionally deficient level of medical care to an elderly jail detainee who died from severe health problems, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday. The defendants maintained 71-year-old Leroy “Nicky” Taylor received consistent medical care during his incarceration and…
-
Federal judge dismisses lawsuit over detainee’s suicide in La Junta
—
by
A federal judge agreed last week that various law enforcement and medical defendants had not violated the rights of a suicidal man who died unattended in a holding cell of the La Junta Police Department. The surviving son and daughter of Glyn Hart filed suit over their father’s 2021 death. They advanced claims under federal…
-
Federal judge dismisses claims against Avon police sergeant for jail detainee’s suicide
—
by
A federal judge last week dismissed the claims against an Avon police sergeant who transported a suicidal man to the Eagle County jail, as part of a broader lawsuit over the man’s death in custody. The lawsuit, brought by the surviving father of Ian David Lockhart, described multiple occasions in the first months of 2023…
-
Federal judge allows lawsuit to proceed against medical staff in Pueblo County jail
—
by
A federal judge on Monday dismissed claims that medical staff at the Pueblo County jail were deliberately indifferent to a detainee’s risk of suicide in the days before he died, but allowed other claims relating to the man’s physical pain to proceed. Jay Philip Pritchard entered the jail on Oct. 29, 2021, allegedly alerting multiple…
-
Federal judge refuses to dismiss lawsuit against El Paso County, jail contractor for deficient care
—
by
A federal judge last month rejected an attempt by El Paso County and the former medical provider for its jail to dismiss a lawsuit alleging deliberate indifference to a detainee’s serious medical needs. Alexandro Duran, who is partially paralyzed and uses a wheelchair, entered the county jail in November 2021. While there, staff allegedly refused…
-
Federal judge refuses to dismiss lawsuit against Jeffco jail contractor for detainee’s death
—
by
A federal judge earlier this month refused to dismiss a constitutional rights lawsuit filed against the Jefferson County jail’s medical contractor, involving multiple personnel who allegedly failed to provide adequate care to a detainee before she died of an infection. Abby Angelo entered the Jeffco jail on June 19, 2021 following her arrest. Nine days…
-
Jury to hear ex-La Plata County jail nurse’s retaliation case under new Colorado whistleblower law
—
by
A jury will decide whether a former nurse in the La Plata County jail experienced retaliation and discrimination under a Colorado law enacted early in the COVID-19 pandemic to protect whistleblowers who raise public health concerns in the workplace. Last month, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Lewis T. Babcock acknowledged no other courts had yet…
