Nico Collins Dies in Custody of Cimarron County Jail in Oklahoma

Nico Lee Collins, only 29 years of age at the time, apparently unfortunately committed suicide while being held in the Cimarron County Jail in Oklahoma. Mr. Collins was allegedly arrested for charges related to public intoxication, and he was in the cell for several hours before committing suicide.

We have no personal knowledge as to what actually occurred with Mr. Collins. However, the United States Constitution guarantees the right of prisoners who have been convicted of nothing, held in county jails, to receive reasonable medical care and mental health care. If jailers have knowledge that a prisoner is likely to be a danger to himself, or that a prisoner needs detoxification services, jailers cannot be deliberately indifferent to such needs. Instead, constitutionally, they must provide appropriate care. If they do not, they, and potentially a particular county or city, can be liable pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to surviving family members if the prisoner passes away.

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.