Harris County officials avoided the prospect of costly litigation by settling a lawsuit Tuesday with the mentally ill inmate who was left for weeks in a squalid, unhygienic jail cell. Commissioners Court unanimously voted to pay $400,000 to Terry Goodwin for physical and emotional suffering he endured in the 2013 incident, which prompted terminations, suspensions and demotions in April for a number of jail staff and led to criminal charges against two other jailers. Sheriff Ron Hickman, who inherited the office and supervision of the jail by appointment when Adrian Garcia resigned to run for mayor, said in a statement that he supported the settlement, and he hoped his staff would be able to turn the tide in terms of fair and humane treatment for all inmates. While in isolation, Goodwin had no contact with mental health counselors; he stopped taking medicine prescribed for a personality disorder, and he experienced suicidal thoughts due to "mental stress and anguish," his lawyer said.

 

Welcome to Wopular!

Welcome to Wopular

Wopular is an online newspaper rack, giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.

Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular, MWB, RottenTomatoes

Subscribe to Wopular's RSS Fan Wopular on Facebook Follow Wopular on Twitter Follow Wopular on Google Plus

MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site

More U.s. News