 |
 |
to fill out a simple form to connect to Personal Injury Lawyers in your area.
|
|
|
|
|
City of Crossville v. Haynes8/12/2005
The City of Crossville appeals from a judgment entered by the DeKalb Circuit Court awarding Donna Haynes, as the administratrix of the estate of the Phillip Corley, deceased, $100,000 on her claim alleging that as a result of the City of Crossville's failure to train its employees in proper intake and monitoring procedures Phillip Corley committed suicide while he was an inmate in the Crossville city jail. We reverse and remand.
Facts
In late 2001, the City of Crossville issued a warrant for the arrest of Phillip Corley based on his alleged issuance of a worthless check. Corley was arrested by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department on January 23, 2002. In processing the arrest, the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department completed a "Cherokee County Detention Center Booking Sheet." In response to the questions on this booking sheet, Corley revealed to the officers of the sheriff's department that he had been treated for drug addiction and for mental illness. Corley also revealed to the officers that he had been in "rehab 2 months ago." Immediately below this information was the question: "Does officer feel arrestee is suicidal?" The arresting officer checked the box that indicated that he did not feel Corley was suicidal.
A City of Crossville police officer, Officer Chris West, picked Corley up from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department later that same day. The City of Crossville had no policy or procedure in place requiring officers to ask prisoners or arrestees questions regarding their medical and mental-health background, and Officer West did not obtain a copy of the booking sheet prepared by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department. Neither Officer West nor anyone else employed with the City of Crossville questioned Corley about his medical or mental-health background before placing him in the Crossville city jail. Therefore, neither Officer West nor anyone employed by the City of Crossville learned that Corley had been treated for drug addiction or for mental illness; neither Officer West nor anyone else employed by the City of Crossville learned that Corley had been in rehabilitation two months before his arrest. Corley did not volunteer this information.
Once he was returned to Crossville, Corley was placed in a cell. Before he was placed in a cell, Corley was allowed to telephone his mother, Donna Haynes, to notify her that he was in the Crossville city jail. While in the cell, Corley was observed regularly by Kristie Towns and Peggy McLendon, police dispatchers for the City of Crossville. When Corley wanted to leave his cell to smoke, either officer Jacky Clayton or Chuck Priest, the acting chief of police for the City of Crossville, accompanied Corley outside. While Corley was incarcerated at the Crossville city jail, Donna Haynes and Misty Shankles, Corley's fiancée, visited Corley. He remained at the jail while his mother and Shankles attempted to arrange his bail.
On January 28, 2002, at approximately 5:45 p.m., during one of her routine checks, dispatcher McLendon discovered that Corley had committed suicide in his jail cell by hanging himself. McLendon had last checked on Corley at 4:30 p.m.
Donna Haynes was appointed as the administratrix of Corley's estate. She sued the City of Crossville, Chief Priest, Officer Clayton, Officer West, and dispatchers Towns and McLendon. In her complaint, Haynes asserted a claim of wrongful death against all of the defendants; she also asserted a claim of negligence or wantonness against the individual defendants and against the City of Crossville, under a theory of respondeat superior, based on Chief Priest's alleged failure to train and supervise the employees of the police department
Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Alabama Personal Injury Attorneys
Personal Injury Lawyers
|
| |
to fill out a simple form to connect to Personal Injury Lawyers in your area.
|
|