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$350,000 Settlement Reached in Negligence Suit over California Youth Prison Suicide
A $350,000 settlement was reached in a federal lawsuit related to the death of a prisoner at a youth prison in California. On August 31, 2005, Joseph Daniel Maldonado, a prisoner at N.A. Chanderjian Youth Correctional Facility, was found dead in his cell from an apparent suicide.
The suit alleged that after being on “lockdown” for eight weeks and requesting mental health services on four separate occasions, Maldonado covered his window and became unresponsive. Guards failed to enter his cell for thirty-eight minutes, at which time, Maldonado was found dead.
The suit sought relief for due process violations, lost of parent-child relationship, defective policies, failure to train, wrongful death, and failure to summon medical care.
The suit was brought by his mother, Sabrina Perez, and sister, Renee Nunez on December 20, 2007. The settlement was reached on May 27, 2008. The Plaintiffs were represented by Stewart Katz of Sacramento, California.
See: Maldonado v. Sec. Cal. Dept. of Corrections, (U.S.D.C. E.D. Cal.) Case No: 2;06-CV-02696.
The suit alleged that after being on “lockdown” for eight weeks and requesting mental health services on four separate occasions, Maldonado covered his window and became unresponsive. Guards failed to enter his cell for thirty-eight minutes, at which time, Maldonado was found dead.
The suit sought relief for due process violations, lost of parent-child relationship, defective policies, failure to train, wrongful death, and failure to summon medical care.
The suit was brought by his mother, Sabrina Perez, and sister, Renee Nunez on December 20, 2007. The settlement was reached on May 27, 2008. The Plaintiffs were represented by Stewart Katz of Sacramento, California.
See: Maldonado v. Sec. Cal. Dept. of Corrections, (U.S.D.C. E.D. Cal.) Case No: 2;06-CV-02696.
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Related legal case
Maldonado v. Sec. Cal. Dept. of Corrections
| Year | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Cite | (U.S.D.C. E.D. Cal.) Case No: 2;06-CV-02696 |
| Level | District Court |
| Conclusion | Settlement |
| Damages | 350,000.00 |
| Injunction Status | N/A |