Williamson County Agrees to $1.25M Settlement in Lawsuit Over Inmate’s Preventable Suicide

County Approves Settlement in Inmate Death Lawsuit

The Williamson County commissioners have green-lighted the allocation of $1.25 million to quench a federal lawsuit asserting that a jail inmate’s suicide was avoidable. The settlement, given the nod on Tuesday, pivoted around the demise of 37-year-old Joshua McNatt in 2021.

On record, McNatt was admitted into the Williamson County Jail on assault charges involving a family member on April 9, 2021. A completed form from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards during his booking identified him as a suicide risk, as outlined in the lawsuit lodged by McNatt’s mother against the county and three jailers.

Mental Health Concerns Ignored

An information slip from the Williamson County magistrate’s office listed a series of McNatt’s known mental health disorders, including paranoid schizophrenia, anxiety and depression. A mental health authority conducted a court-ordered evaluation on McNatt while he was in custody and established him as suicidal, the lawsuit revealed. Furthermore, while McNatt was prescribed medication for his mental illnesses, he was never administered these crucial drugs during his time in custody.

The Tragic Circumstances of McNatt’s Death

On the afternoon of April 12, 2021, whilst on suicide watch, an officer delivered a bag of linens, including a sheet and blanket, to McNatt’s cell. The lawsuit reported that approximately 18 minutes after the jailer dropped off the materials, officers conducted their next suicide watch check of McNatt’s cell. Tragically, McNatt was found hanging.

In a damning indictment of the jail’s practices, the lawsuit stated, “Leaving Josh, who was undisputedly suicidal, in a cell with tie-off points and items with which he could form a ligature, was a violation of every known jail standard as well as clearly established law.” McNatt was subsequently transported to a hospital for treatment.

Inmate Released From Custody Amidst Claims of Cost-Cutting

The Williamson County sheriff’s office issued a release two days after McNatt was taken to the hospital, setting him free from custody so his family could deliberate on his future care. However, the lawsuit challenged this decision, claiming the true motive was to sidestep the County’s liability for McNatt’s medical bills. McNatt ultimately succumbed to his injuries at the hospital on April 22, 2021.

Other Lawsuits Settled by Williamson County

The county will shoulder $355,320 of the $1.25 million settlement, with the remainder covered by the county’s insurance carriers. It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time the county has opted to settle lawsuits involving jail inmates deaths. In October 2022, Williamson County commissioners agreed to a $500,000 settlement in a federal lawsuit involving inmate Patrick Dupre’s death, and in April 2021, a $1.6 million payout was approved surrounding the death of mentally ill inmate Daniel McCoy.

Changes to Jail Practices?

Williamson County Sheriff Mike Gleason refrained from commenting on whether jail practices have changed in the wake of the lawsuit, stating he had not yet received a brief on the settlement from the Commissioners Court or the county’s legal counsel.

Source: HERE News Network

Author: HERE News