Inmate Dies in Tarrant County, Texas Jail, Possibly Related to Detox

The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department recently filed a custodial death report with the Texas State Attorney General regarding the death of Jennifer Lynn Espinoza. Ms. Espinoza was only 37 years of age at the time of her death. Information in this post was obtained from that report, and we have no personal knowledge of what actually occurred. We also do not make any allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone related to Ms. Espinoza’s death.

Ms. Espinoza was taken into custody on January 10, 2019 at approximately 10:00 a.m. Ms. Espinoza allegedly reported no medical issues and no drug use. However, two days later, on January 12, 2019, medical staff determined that Ms. Espinoza was detoxing off of heroin. Medical staff began detox treatment according to protocol. However, three days later, on January 15, 2019, two officers were conducting a face-to-face observation at shift change and found Ms. Espinoza unresponsive in her cell. Ms. Espinoza was ultimately taken to a local hospital, where she passed away on January 16, 2019.

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.