Historic $7 Million Settlement in Lawsuit Over Michigan Jail Prisoner’s Fatal Beating
by Matt Clarke
On June 20, 2024, the Wayne County Commission in Detroit approved a $5 million payment on top of $2 million paid by the County’s insurer to settle a lawsuit brought by the estate of a County jail detainee beaten to death by a cellmate, who had a known history of violence and mental illness.
According to court documents, Thomas Carr, 53, was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a nonviolent misdemeanor. On July 12, 2023, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 26 days in jail. The following day, Carr was transferred to the Wayne County Jail and housed with Claude Lewis, 28. That same day, Lewis beat Carr severely in an attack that may have lasted several hours; it was not interrupted by guards. Carr was left with multiple facial bone fractures and a crushed eye socket. He succumbed to his injuries on July 20, 2023.
Lewis had been arrested for domestic violence on July 10, 2023, after allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend in violation of a protective order she had obtained against him. As recalled in the complaint later filed on his behalf, he told a 911 dispatcher that day, “I am labeled as schizophrenic, bipolar, so the reason I’m calling is so she can’t get me locked up in jail. I’d rather just go to the psych ward and get assistance.” But the complaint continued, “this warning and plea for assistance were ignored.”
Lewis’ lengthy criminal record held at least 8 convictions, “including two separate convictions for aggravated battery, one for burning or exploding property and another for felon in possession of a firearm,” the complaint noted. There was also a warning from Michigan’s Law Enforcement Information Network that Lewis may harm himself or others and that he had been involuntarily committed in 2022.
Aided by attorneys A. Vince Colella, Melanie J. Duda and Matthew C. McCann of Moss & Colella in Southfield, Carr’s Estate filed a civil rights action in November 2023 in federal court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Proceeding pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the Estate accused the County and the Department of its Sheriff Raphael “Ray” Washington, as well as unnamed jail guards and medical professionals, of unreasonable search and seizure in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments; failure to properly train and supervise guards and medical personnel; Carr’s wrongful death; as well as violation of Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act, MCL § 15.23, et seq. The parties then proceeded to reach their settlement agreement, one of the largest in County history, which was inclusive of attorney’s fees and costs. See: Adkins v. Wayne Cty. Sheriff’s Dep’t, USDC (E.D. Mich), Case No. 2:23-cv-13042.
“Considering the potential exposure of liability, it could have been worse,” offered County Commissioner Sam Baydoun.
Wayne County Deputy Sheriff’s Association spokesman Reginald Crawford blamed “staffing cuts” and the “dangerous, hazardous environment that exists” at the jail. But Sheriff Washington blamed an unnamed former deputy who was not at his assigned post when the attack occurred, saying that the jailer could have thwarted it. Commissioner Glenn Anderson countered that Carr’s slaying “indicates there’s a bigger problem” at the jail, adding: “I’m reluctant to say that anything should stop with the one individual that didn’t make the rounds.”
Lewis was charged with Carr’s murder but has been ruled incompetent. He was sent to a state psychiatric lockup for restoration. If that succeeds, he can stand trial.
Additional source: WXYZ
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Related legal case
Adkins v. Wayne Cty. Sheriff’s Dep’t
| Year | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Cite | USDC (E.D. Mich), Case No. 2:23-cv-13042 |
| Level | District Court |
| Conclusion | Settlement |
| Damages | 7000000.00 |