Prisoner Dies in Parker County, Texas Jail

The Parker County, Texas Sheriff’s Department recently filed a custodial death report with the Texas Attorney General regarding the death of Bernard Randolph Tully.  Mr. Tully was only 39 years of age at the time of his death.  We make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone in this post, but are simply providing information obtained from that report.

Mr. Tully was initially incarcerated on August 3, 2018 at approximately 10:21 p.m.   The following day, at approximately 2:52 p.m. a medical emergency was called to the single cell in which Mr. Tully was being held.  Staff attempted life-saving measures, and EMS arrived approximately 9 minutes later.  Mr. Tully was transported to a local hospital and was unfortunately pronounced deceased at approximately 3:39 p.m.  The report indicates that Mr. Tully appeared intoxicated by drugs and/or alcohol.  The Texas Rangers are investigating the death, which is normal procedure for an in-custody death.

The United States Constitution guarantees Texas pretrial prisoners the right to receive reasonable medical care, including care necessary for physical issues arising from intoxication.  If a jail knows that a prisoner is intoxicated to the point that he or she needs medical assistance, the jail is obligated to provide it.  If the jail and/or jailers fail to do so, depending on policies, procedures, and customs of the city or county, and decisions made by individual jailers, jailers and/or cities and/or counties can be held liable for such Constitutional violations.  Once again, we have no information indicating that, in Mr. Tully’s case, anyone did anything wrong.  We provide this information simply to assist families of deceased Texas jail prisoners in determining their 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.