Woman Dies in Anderson County, Texas Jail

The Anderson County Sheriff’s office filed with the Attorney General of Texas a custodial death report regarding the death of Rhonda Gay Newsome.  Ms. Newsome was 50 years of age at the time of her death.  Information in this post was obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

Ms. Newsome was originally incarcerated in the Anderson County Jail on March 9, 2018.  She passed away on June 15, 2018.  The summary of what resulted in her death is relatively short, as compared to other custodial death reports our law firm has reviewed.  It indicates that Ms. Newsome was in a holding cell due to being nauseated, and was found unresponsive at approximately 5:00 p.m. on June 15, 2018.  The report also indicates that Ms. Newsome passed away as a result of complications of Addison’s Disease, hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, obesity, and pulmonary emphysema.

Texas counties are required by law to file custodial death reports within thirty days of the death of an inmate.  It is uncertain as to why it appears that, with regard to Ms. Newsome, the report was not filed within the legally-required time.

Texas county jail inmates have rights to receive reasonable medical care.  If jailers are aware of serious medical needs, and fail to take appropriate actions by including but not limited to having an inmate transferred to a local hospital, then jailers can be liable as a result.

Once again, we make no allegation regarding any wrongdoing related to Ms. Newsome.  We are simply providing information about Texas prisoners’ constitutional 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.