Clayton County Jail nurse suing investigator over alleged wrongful arrest
The Brief
A nurse working at the Clayton County Jail is suing one of the county's investigators after she was arrested for allegedly giving prohibited medication to an inmate.
In 2023, deputies arrested Jessica Marie Cotney and charged her with furnishing prohibited items to inmates - a charge that has since been dropped.
Her attorney claims the jail's contract with its medical provider allows nurses to give Benadryl without a physician's order, and that she wasn't the one who gave the medication in the first place.
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - A nurse working at the Clayton County Jail has filed a lawsuit against a deputy after she says she was arrested for allegedly giving Benadryl to an inmate.
Investigators arrested Jessica Marie Cotney in May 2023 and charged her with furnishing prohibited items to inmates - a charge that has since been dropped.
What we know
According to a release by the Clayton County Sheriff's Office, Cotney and an officer were both arrested after they were accused of providing "contraband items" to prisoners.
In the lawsuit, Cotney's attorney says the medication that she provided was "an over-the-counter medication that jail nurses everywhere, including at the Clayton County Jail, are authorized to give without a doctor's orders."
While the attorney argues that the arrest was unfounded, they specifically accuse the investigator in the case of making false statements in his warrant application, saying that Cotney was not the nurse who gave Benadryl to an arrested correctional officer. Instead, she gave a different nurse the medication because she was told not to visit the jailed officer.
The attorney claims that the healthcare provider for the jail has a standing order allowing nurses to administer Benadryl and other over-the-county drugs without needing a physician's order.
Cotney had also been charged with obstruction of an officer, which the lawsuit claims is because she did not come in to be interviewed for the investigation at 2 a.m. because of her young child. She had allegedly asked for the interview to happen the next morning.
What they're saying
"This was an unjust and baseless prosecution stemming from warrants that never should have been issued," Cotney's attorney, Mark Begnaud, said. "Jessica Cotney is a dedicated nurse who was simply following standard procedure, yet her life was needlessly disrupted by these false charges. She deserves justice."
Dig deeper
The lawsuit claims that Cotney's arrest and subsequent news coverage left her with emotional distress, humiliation and reputational harm.
She's asking the court to award her compensatory and punitive damages as well as attorney fees.
The Source
Information for this story came from a previous FOX 5 reporting and a copy of Cotney's lawsuit.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
National Guard troops directed to LA ICE protests from San Diego: Bonta
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Hundreds of California Army National Guard troops based in San Diego were among those directed by President Donald Trump to respond to the ongoing protests in Los Angeles against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. The extraordinary deployment of the National Guard early Sunday morning to quell the demonstrations has drawn immense backlash from Democratic local and state officials, who attribute it to escalations in the confrontations between protesters and federal law enforcement. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a press conference Monday announcing a lawsuit against the Trump administration for the move it 'trampled' the state's sovereignty, building on statements from Gov. Gavin Newsom that described it 'illegal and immoral.' In deploying National Guard, Trump critics see 'run around' of Insurrection Act 'We don't take lightly to the president abusing his authority and unlawfully mobilizing California National Guard troops,' Bonta told reporters, adding he planned to seek a court order declaring that the use of the Guard was unlawful and ask for a restraining order to halt the deployment. Trump promised to send 2,000 National Guard troops to the city to respond to the protesters, whom he had described as 'insurrectionists,' but only about half of those were in the city as of Monday. According to Bonta, an unspecified number of troops directed to the city on Sunday were from bases in San Diego. Trump also said he would be willing to send in U.S. Marines from nearby bases like Camp Pendleton. By Monday afternoon, 700 U.S. Marines from Twentynine Palms, California, were deployed to the city, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News. The protests, which had largely begun peacefully, turned violent in some areas on Sunday as the first wave of National Guard troops made their way into the city. Throughout the day, some protesters hurled projectiles, set self-driving taxi cars on fire and looted businesses. At the same time, law enforcement repeatedly fired less-lethal rounds, deployed tear gas and set off flash bangs at crowds in an attempt to get them to disperse. At least two news correspondents were hit by these rounds — one from Australia and another from the United Kingdom. According to Los Angeles law enforcement, more than 40 people were arrested on Sunday and at least a dozen local law enforcement officers were injured. It is unknown how many injuries were sustained by protesters. Crowds had mostly dispersed overnight into Monday. Although protesters reconvened Monday afternoon for a rally calling for the release of labor activist David Huerta, who was among those injured and arrested Sunday, in Los Angeles' Grand Park, as Nexstar's KTLA reported. 'He knows where to find me,' Gov. Newsom responds to Trump administration arrest threat A number of streets throughout downtown Los Angeles remain closed following the weekend's demonstrations, while several federal buildings in the area still have a heightened law enforcement presence. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged those protesting Monday not to 'fall into the Trump Administration's trap' by remaining peaceful in a series of posts on X on Monday. 'Trump didn't inherit a crisis — he created one,' she said. 'To those stoking the fire of lawlessness and chaos alongside him — LA will hold you accountable.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Violence erupts amid Pride events in DC
The Brief A 21-year-old man was shot and killed early Sunday near 14th and S Streets NW, police said. Two teenage boys were stabbed during a WorldPride event at Dupont Circle Park on Saturday evening. Multiple shootings occurred across the city between late Saturday and early Monday morning. WASHINGTON - A violent weekend unfolded in the District amid WorldPride celebrations. Early Sunday, 21-year-old Brandon Tolson was shot and killed near 14th and S Streets NW, just blocks from Dupont Circle, police said. Officers responded to the scene just before 3 a.m., where Tolson, a district resident, was pronounced dead. Seven other shootings occurred between late Saturday and early Sunday morning, authorities reported. Just before 11 p.m. on Saturday, a juvenile male was found with a gunshot wound in the 1900 block of U Street NW. Around the same time, officers investigated additional shootings on M Street NE, W Street SE, and T Street NW. Violence also broke out at Dupont Circle Park during a WorldPride event on Saturday evening. Around 7 p.m., a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old boy were stabbed, police said. An hour later, as officers worked to disperse crowds, a man was shot in the foot near the entrance of the Dupont Circle Metro station. READ MORE: 1 shot, 2 teens stabbed near Dupont Circle amid Pride events The shootings continued into early Monday, with D.C. police responding to a call at 2:43 a.m. on the 500 block of Lebaum Street SE. The violence comes amid concerns over public safety during large gatherings and ongoing struggles within the D.C. police department to maintain staffing levels. Authorities are continuing investigations into the incidents. READ MORE: 5 reported overnight shootings in DC The Source Information in this article comes from The Metropolitan Police Department and previous FOX 5 reporting.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Driver, 24, killed after colliding with multiple parked cars in Mt. Hope
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A 24-year-old man is dead after losing control of his vehicle and crashing into multiple parked cars in San Diego's Mt. Hope neighborhood Sunday night, San Diego police said. The crash was reported just before 11 p.m. in the area of 400 42nd Street. According to police, the man left his residence and headed southbound in a 2008 Mazda CX5 after 'breaking glass items.' A short while later, the driver lost control and collided with a parked 1995 Jeep Wrangler on the east curb line of 42nd Street. Per SDPD, three additional parked vehicles were damaged by the Mazda. See real-time road conditions on the FOX 5/KUSI Live Traffic Map As a result of the collision, the man was ejected from the vehicle, sustaining critical injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released at this time. Officers with SDPD's Traffic Division were dispatched to the scene and are investigating the collision. At this time, it is unknown what caused the man to lose control of the vehicle and whether driving under the influence was a factor in the crash. Authorities are asking anyone with information regarding the incident to contact SDPD's Traffic Division or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
