Inmate Dies After Being in Custody of Jasper County, Texas Sheriff’s Department

The Jasper County Sheriff’s department filed a custodial death report with the Texas State Attorney General regarding the death of Joel Christian Parker.  Information in this post was obtained from that report.  We make no allegation of any wrongdoing, but we are instead simply providing information.

The report does not indicate Mr. Parker’s age at time of death.  Mr. Parker, on June 6, 2018, some time between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., became incoherent while he was picking up trash on the side of the road as a purported volunteer.  He was then transported by EMS to a hospital in Beaumont for possible heat exhaustion/stroke.  The report does not indicate whether and/or when water was provided to Mr. Parker while he was working on the side of the road.   On June 7, 2018, at approximately 10:30 a.m., the Sheriff was contacted by the Jail Administrator and notified that Mr. Parker had passed away.  An autopsy has been ordered, and the Texas Rangers are conducting an investigation.

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.