Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C. in the News

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a federal judge erred in dismissing a civil rights lawsuit involving the death of Kelli Leanne Page, who died after being restrained face-down by jailers in the Coryell County Jail in 2017. The appellate court reinstated the case, finding that a jury could determine whether the jailers used excessive force in violation of Page’s constitutional rights. The ruling sends the case back to Waco federal court for trial.

Representing Page’s family, Dean Malone of the Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C. stated that the decision affirms the importance of accountability and justice for families who lose loved ones to preventable deaths in Texas jails.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear two Texas civil rights cases involving deaths in custody, leaving intact rulings that granted qualified immunity to law enforcement officials. One case involved Derrek Monroe, a man who died by suicide in the Coleman County Jail after being placed in a cell with a 30-inch phone cord and left unassisted by a jailer who watched as he strangled himself. The other case concerned Gabriel Olivas, who died after Arlington police used a stun gun on him while he was doused in gasoline.

The decision effectively ends both families’ efforts to seek accountability in federal court. Civil rights attorney Dean Malone, who represents Monroe’s family, has criticized the outcome as emblematic of how the qualified immunity doctrine prevents justice for individuals harmed or killed in custody.

El Paso County has seen a sharp rise in jail deaths, including suicides and overdoses, with 33 deaths recorded between 2016 and 2022 — more than double the number from the previous six years. Among those cases is the death of 22-year-old Azhalia Gisele Corral, whose family filed a federal lawsuit against the county.

Attorney Dean Malone of the Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., representing Corral’s family, stated that the jail failed to provide adequate supervision despite clear warning signs that Corral was suicidal. Corral was placed under 15-minute observation after expressing suicidal thoughts but was later found hanging from a partition wall using her jail-issued clothing — before receiving her suicide smock.

The case underscores ongoing concerns over mental health care, suicide prevention, and drug smuggling in Texas jails. Malone and others have called for stronger oversight and enforcement of Texas Commission on Jail Standards regulations to prevent future deaths in custody.

A federal lawsuit filed by attorney Dean Malone alleges that 28-year-old Javonte Myers died from an untreated seizure disorder while in custody at the Tarrant County Jail in 2020. Myers, who had documented mental health and medical conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and epilepsy, was arrested for low-level offenses. The suit claims jail staff ignored clear medical risks, failed to provide treatment, and later falsified observation records after his body was left undiscovered for hours.

Malone described the jail’s systemic neglect as “a mess leading to unnecessary deaths,” citing other recent cases involving detainees with severe medical conditions. The Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C. continues to represent families across Texas whose loved ones have died in jail custody, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability and reform in the treatment of mentally ill and medically fragile inmates.

In a joint legal effort, Dallas attorney Dean Malone and Hogan Lovells partner Cate Stetson brought two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, urging the justices to reconsider the controversial doctrine of qualified immunity. The doctrine, which often shields government officials from civil liability, has faced increasing scrutiny for limiting accountability in cases involving constitutional rights violations.

Stetson said the two cases were “similar enough in some particulars, each appalling in its own way,” adding that the collaboration was intended to send “a one-two punch” against excessive judicial protection for officials accused of misconduct. The partnership between Malone and Stetson underscores a shared commitment to advancing civil rights and governmental accountability at the highest level of the American justice system.

An Austin Chronicle investigation examines the tragic death of Jared “JJ” Bell, a 32-year-old Austin musician who died by suicide in the Travis County Jail after seeking medical help during a psychotic episode. Despite expressing suicidal thoughts, Bell was placed alone in a dayroom with a telephone cord — the same cord he later used to take his life. Civil rights attorney Dean Malone, who represents families in similar jail-related death cases, said that 15- or 30-minute visual checks are dangerously inadequate. “It literally takes about three minutes, through use of a ligature, to kill yourself,” Malone noted, emphasizing that suicidal detainees require continuous observation.

Malone also highlighted the deeper issue: Texas jails are being used in place of mental health treatment facilities. “We are using jails in lieu of mental health treatment facilities to incarcerate generally low-level offenders,” he said. “And these people have serious mental health issues.” The case of JJ Bell underscores a statewide crisis in how law enforcement and healthcare systems handle mental illness — a failure that continues to cost lives behind bars.

A proposed $825,000 settlement has been reached in a federal civil rights lawsuit stemming from the 2019 death of Chris Cabler in the Red River County Jail. The case was handled by attorney Dean Malone, whose firm represents families across Texas in wrongful death and jail neglect cases involving failures to protect vulnerable inmates.

The lawsuit alleged constitutional violations and negligence in the jail’s supervision and care of Cabler, who died by hanging while in custody. The proposed settlement reflects ongoing accountability efforts in Texas jails, where inadequate mental health care, poor monitoring, and unsafe housing conditions have repeatedly led to preventable inmate deaths.

The family of Michael Kozletsky has filed a federal lawsuit against Menard County, alleging jail staff failed to follow suicide prevention procedures before Kozletsky’s death in May 2020. According to reports by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, jailers did not complete a required suicide screening form, had not received suicide prevention training since 2018, and failed to conduct required welfare checks. Kozletsky had reportedly stated he “would be dead” the next day, yet was placed on only 30-minute observation instead of continuous monitoring.

Attorney Dean Malone, representing Kozletsky’s family, said the death was entirely preventable and reflected a broader pattern of neglect in Texas jails. “There is absolutely no excuse for putting a suicidal inmate into a cell with items that can be used as ligatures,” Malone stated. He emphasized that suicide can occur in under three minutes and that continuous monitoring is critical for prevention. The lawsuit alleges violations of Kozletsky’s constitutional rights to medical care, safety, and humane treatment while detained pre-trial.

The Texas Rangers are investigating the death of 51-year-old Chauncey Elmer Toombs, who was found unresponsive in a holding cell at the Kaufman County Jail in April 2022. According to a custodial death report, Toombs had made suicidal statements and exhibited mental health issues before his death. Despite these warnings, he was placed alone in a pre-booking cell and allegedly used medical gauze to hang himself from a handicap bar.

Attorney Dean Malone, who obtained the custodial death report through public records, condemned the jail’s handling of the incident. “If Mr. Toombs was suicidal, there would have been no excuse to leave him in a cell with items he could use as a ligature,” Malone stated. He emphasized that suicidal inmates require continuous observation and that jail staff have a constitutional duty under the 14th Amendment to protect detainees from self-harm. The firm continues to represent families across Texas in similar cases of jail neglect and preventable deaths.