Ricky Farmer Dies After Being in Tarrant County Jail – Jail Recently Found Non-compliant by State of Texas

The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department, in Fort Worth, Texas, filed a custodial death report regarding the death of Ricky B. Farmer. Mr. Farmer was 57 years old at the time of his death. Information in this post was obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone as a result of Mr. Farmer’s death.

Mr. Farmer was originally incarcerated in the Tarrant County jail on February 22, 2020 at 4:14 p.m. He died on February 26, 2020. The report was filed long after his death, and apparently in violation of the Texas law requiring that such a report be filed within 30 days of the death of a person in custody.

The summary included in the report reads:

“Ricky Farmer was booked into our jail on 02/22/2020 at 4:14 pm and was evaluated by medical and MHMR personnel. Due to his MHMR issues he was housed in a single cell for his protection. On 02/26/2020 he was given his meal tray and he took possession of it. On video he can be seen walking around in his cell. During meal tray pick up he was found laying on the floor of his cell. A code was called and medical responded and treated Mr. Farmer until Medstar Ambulance personnel arrived. Shortly after their arrival he was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital.”

Mr. Farmer had the right pursuant to the United States Constitution to receive reasonable medical and mental health care. If he did not receive such medical care, and one or more jailers were deliberately indifferent to his known medical and/or mental health needs, then such jailers could be liable to certain surviving family members. However, once again, we make no allegation of any wrongdoing relating to Mr. Farmer’s death. We have no information indicating that anyone acted improperly.

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.