Federal Court Denies Request to Dismiss El Paso County Jail Death Case

Federal Court Denies Request to Dismiss El Paso County Jail Death Case

For Immediate Release

El Paso, Texas – December 15, 2025

57-Year-Old Jesus Fernandez was arrested and booked into the El Paso County, Texas jail. Jesus was only 5’-6” tall. At some point during his incarceration, other detainees planned to assault Jesus. Jesus was murdered, being kicked, stomped, punched, beaten with a cane, stabbed, strangled, and suffocated. Six detainees were charged with murder related to his death.

The gruesome assault went on for a lengthy period of time and was able to be seen through a video camera feed. No one came to help. After Jesus died, his body remained in the cell for hours before being discovered. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards found the El Paso County jail to be non-compliant with minimum jail standards. It was not the first time. The El Paso County jail has an unfortunate track record of failing to protect detainees in its care.

Constitutional rights lawyer Dean Malone represents Jesus’ family members and filed a federal lawsuit against El Paso County. El Paso County filed a motion to dismiss the case and also asked that the case be stayed pending conclusion of criminal cases arising from Jesus’ murder. The Court denied the motions on December 15, 2025.

Mr. Malone said, “Our law firm and Jesus’ family are glad that the Court allowed the case to continue. What happened to Jesus is a travesty and easily preventable. After an extensive assault, Jesus’ body lay in the cell for hours. We will continue to stand alongside his family to hold El Paso County accountable.”

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.