Cedric Leon Hardesty – Another Death Related to the Wichita Falls, Texas Jail

The Wichita County Sheriff’s Office, in Wichita Falls, Texas, which is in north Texas, filed a report with the Texas Attorney General regarding the death of 57-year-old Cedric Leon Hardesty. There have been a few deaths related to the Wichita County jail in 2021. Information we provide in this post was obtained from the report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“At 0106 on 9/13/2021, a medical emergency was called to the single cell where the inmate was housed. Inmate was not responsive and no pulse could be felt when officers and medical staff entered cell. Live saving measures were started. AMR was notified. Live saving measures continued until the inmate was transported to United Regional Health Care System by AMR. Inmate was pronounced deceased my hospital medical provider. An autopsy was ordered and is pending. Texas Rangers notified and investigation pending.”

Therefore, the summary does not provide any information about whether Mr. Hardesty was receiving ongoing medical treatment, whether he had been observed, and/or whether he was known to be ill before the life-threatening situation which occurred.

All Texas jail inmates are entitled, pursuant to the United States Constitution, to receive medical care. They are also entitled to receive appropriate mental health care and to be protected from themselves and others. If a jail and/or jailers fail to provide that care, and a person dies as a result, then certain surviving family members may have claims related to that death. Those claims are usually filed by a Texas jail injury civil rights lawyer, in federal court.

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.