Rebecca Esterline-Brixey Dies in Jefferson County, Arkansas Jail

Rebecca Esterline-Brixey, only 45 years of age at the time, was found to be unresponsive in a cell in the Jefferson County Jail in Arkansas on or about December 8, 2018. Apparently, Ms. Esterline-Brixey passed away as a result of complications related to alcohol withdrawal. We are unaware of the facts of exactly what occurred. However, to the extent jail staff would have been able to help Ms. Esterline-Brixey, after becoming aware that she had significant medical issues, jail staff had a constitutional duty to do so.

The United States Constitution imposes duties on county jailers to provide reasonable medical care and mental health care. If jailers are deliberately indifferent to such needs, they can be liable to the family of a deceased person, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. There are various protocols which jails should use, in the event they are confronted with inmates withdrawing from substance abuse issues. For example, CIWA and COWS are two such protocols. We are unaware of whether Jefferson County chose to use any withdrawal protocol with Ms. Esterline-Brixey.

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.