Inmate Dies After Being in the Johnson County Jail in Cleburne, Texas

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Department filed a custodial death report with Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, regarding the death of Fredrick Lynn Jarmon.  Mr. Jarmon was only 46 years old 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 related to Mr. Jarmon’s death.

Mr. Jarmon was originally taken into custody at an unknown time.  On March 17, 2020, at approximately 9:36 p.m., jail medical personnel were requested for an unresponsive inmate in Corrections Building Three – Tank C3D.  The inmate was Mr. Jarmon.  A corrections officer checked Mr. Jarmon’s pulse but was unable to find it.  Jail medical personnel responded and began CPR.  EMS arrived and took over CPR.  Mr. Jarmon was subsequently transferred to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne.  He was then transferred to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. 

Mr. Jarmon was put on life support while further medical tests were completed.  The hospital indicated that Mr. Jarmon had a large mass/tumor on his left frontal lobe which allegedly shifted causing him to go into respiratory and cardiac arrest.  On March 19, 2020, at the request of a family member, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth ceased life support.  Mr. Jarmon passed away on March 19, 2020 at 2:02 p.m. 

Our office has handled a number of jail death cases, and we review virtually every custodial death report filed in Texas.  However, regarding Mr. Jarmon’s death, there was information in the custodial death report which is something that we do not customarily see reported. 

The report indicates that Texas Ranger Don Stoner requested several times for the Tarrant County Medical Examiner to conduct an autopsy.  However, the Medical Examiner’s office refused to do the autopsy, stating that it was unnecessary because Mr. Jarmon allegedly died of natural causes.  Our office is uncertain as to whether the Texas Rangers conducted a further investigation regarding Mr. Jarmon’s death.  However, such an investigation would be typical. 

Without regard to what happened to Mr. Jarmon, the United States Constitution guarantees the right of pre-trial inmates in Texas to receive reasonable medical care.  If jailers and/or others responsible for such inmates are deliberately indifferent and/or act objectively unreasonably regarding such medical care, and an inmate dies, then certain surviving family members can file suit to assert the deceased person’s constitutional rights.

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.