Jail Suicide — Reynolds County (Smith)

Smith et al. v. Reynolds County et al. - The Mother and two sons of Adrian Smith filed suit against Reynolds County, the former Reynolds County Sheriff and multiple deputies. Of all the jail suicide cases handled by the firm, this featured the most egregious, outrageous set of facts: There was no full-time jailer at the jail; the sole jailer would come in at 7:00 a.m. and leave at 4:00 p.m.; the Sheriff and jailers knew the decedent was suicidal and in need of psychotropic drugs but failed to provide him with medications the day before his death; a fan was placed next to the cell occupied by decedent with the orange extension cord being placed inside the cell of decedent – the very ligature used by decedent to end his life. After a failed mediation session the case was settled for $900,000.00.