Inmate Dies at County Jail in Galveston, Texas

On November 15, 2017, Jerry Louise Hill passed away after being in the custody of the Galveston County Sheriff’s Department.  Information in this post was obtained from a custodial death report filed by the Galveston County Sheriff’s Department with the Attorney General of Texas.  We make no allegations of any wrongdoing in this post but are simply providing information based on that report.

The report indicates that Ms. Hill began her incarceration at the Galveston County, Texas Jail on August 8, 2017.  Allegedly, on November 12, 2017, at approximately 9:36 p.m., while in the Galveston County Jail, Ms. Hill displayed signs of heavy breathing.  An on-duty deputy contacted jail medical personnel for assistance.  EMS was also called after jail medical personnel examined Ms. Hill.  EMS transported Ms. Hill to the University of Texas Medical Branch (“UTMB”), and Ms. Hill was admitted to the ICU.  Ms. Hill passed away three days later at UTMB.

Our firm has no information regarding the cause of death for Ms. Hill.  However, heavy breathing is a symptom of a common problem in jails – sepsis.  Sepsis is a serious illness that, if not treated properly and promptly, can cause death.  There are a number of other sepsis symptoms, including confusion and low blood pressure.  Jails should have in place specific criteria for determining whether inmates have sepsis, so that inmates can receive emergency medical treatment in a local hospital.  Once again, as referenced above, we have no indication as to what caused Ms. Hill’s death, and are making no allegation that she died of sepsis.  Information about sepsis in jails is provided simply as a public service.

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.