The Harris County Sheriff Department, apparently many months after it was due under Texas law, recently filed a custodial death report with the Texas Attorney General regarding the death of Jessie Navarro.  Mr. Navarro was 58 years of age at the time of his death.  Information in this post was obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

Mr. Navarro was originally incarcerated in the Harris County jail on December 1, 2017.  On February 23, 2018, jail health services ordered an off-site CAT scan to be conducted on Mr. Navarro.  A hematoma was diagnosed.  Jail staff then determined that Mr. Navarro should be transported to Ben Taub Hospital by ambulance.  Mr. Navarro was returned to the jail on February 25, 2018, but once again sent to the hospital due to his worsening condition.  Mr. Navarro, apparently while in the hospital, was “officially released from Harris County Sheriff’s office.”  On March 2, 2018, Mr. Navarro was pronounced deceased.

The custodial death report should have been filed within 30 days of Mr. Navarro’s death, pursuant to Texas law.  The report does not indicate why it was not filed within that period of time.

Moreover, the report does not indicate why Mr. Navarro had a hematoma.  Texas jail staff have constitutional duties to provide reasonable medical care to inmates, and also to protect inmates from themselves and other inmates if a known issue arises.  The report regarding Mr. Navarro indicates that at one point he appeared intoxicated by alcohol or drugs, and he also exhibited mental health problems and medical problems.  If jailers fail to comply with their constitutional duties, a lawsuit can be filed in a Texas federal court by a representative of the deceased person’s estate as well as by or on behalf of the deceased person’s spouse, children, and parents.

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.