Five Alabama jail medical staff indicted in death of mentally ill inmate
The indictment unsealed Tuesday brings the total number of people charged related to the 2023 death of Tony Mitchell after his incarceration at the Walker County Jail up to 25.
A former jail medical supervisor, a jail health services administrator and three jail licensed practical nurses, are each charged with one count of conspiracy against rights and one count of deprivation of rights, according to the indictment.
During his incarceration, the jail's medical staff failed to provide Mitchell 'with constitutional conditions of confinement' despite the fact that some corrections officers approached the jail's medical supervisor with concerns about Mitchell's deteriorating health, the indictment read.
Walker County outsourced the jail's medical care to QCHC Inc., a company which employed the indicted staff, according to a civil suit filed by Mitchell's mother. The claims against the Walker County Sheriff's department employees were settled in July, but the claims against Quality Correctional Health Care and it's staff remain still pending.
Quality Correctional Health Care is contracted in 10 other jails across the state, according to the indictment from Tuesday. An attorney listed for the company in the civil case didn't respond to a phone call and an email sent on Tuesday.
Only two people indicted on Tuesday had attorneys listed when the indictments were unsealed. Those two attorneys didn't respond to an email on Tuesday morning.
An attorney for the Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith declined to comment on Tuesday.
Mitchell's death on January 26, 2023, put a spotlight on conditions and allegations of abuse at the jail in Jasper, Alabama.
Mitchell, 33, died after being brought from the jail to a hospital emergency room with a body temperature of 72 degrees (22 degrees Celsius).
He had been taken into custody two weeks earlier on January 12 after a relative asked authorities to do a welfare check on him because he appeared to be having a mental breakdown. The Walker County sheriff's office said Mitchell was arrested after firing a shot at deputies and running into the woods.
Prosecutors wrote in the indictment that for much of his two-week detention Mitchell was held in a concrete cell that serves as the jail's drunk tank with 'no blanket, mattress, or clothing, and was routinely left naked on the bare concrete floor.' He was routinely covered in feces and was not provided with regular opportunities to shower or use a toilet, prosecutors wrote.
The indictment is part of a sweeping probe into Mitchell's death that has ensnared jail leadership, sheriff's deputies and jail medical staff. The 25 indictments and plea deals depict a rampant culture of abuse and corruption that went beyond Mitchell's treatment.
At least one other nurse pleaded guilty in October last year. The plea deal said the nurse 'had no interest in providing care to someone he thought was unworthy of it and because he feared job ramifications if he offered care against the perceived 'prevailing culture.''
Separate indictments unsealed on Monday charged six employees, including the jail captain and supervisor, with numerous federal deprivation of rights and conspiracy, alleging the officers 'unlawfully punish detainees in the jail for the detainees' perceived misbehavior.'
At least one plea states that, at the time of Mitchell's death, officers intentionally kept the conditions in the jail 'as filthy as possible' to convince county commissioners to increase salaries and jail budget.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Politico
2 days ago
- Politico
The fraudster behind California secession
From the outside, it looks impressive: a palatial home overlooking the San Fernando Valley, just northwest of Los Angeles. It's a befitting place for the headquarters of such an ambitious organization. Here, the Calexit movement, dedicated to getting California to secede from the United States and become its own country, has made its headquarters. But inside, the house — and the organization — something is amiss. The mansion belongs to Calexit CEO Xavier Mitchell, and it's a bit of a mess. Drywall falls from a water-damaged ceiling in clumps. Plywood boards stand in place of several glass doors. 'Nothing in Mitchell's house is quite as it seems. Instead, it is a superficial facsimile of wealth, a flawed stand-in — good enough, maybe, until you take a closer look,' writes Will McCarthy in this week's Friday Read. 'The same could be said of Mitchell himself.' McCarthy pulls back the curtain on the fraudster at the center of the movement for an independent California. Read the story. 'I was just informed that our Country's 'Jobs Numbers' are being produced by a Biden Appointee, Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics, who faked the Jobs Numbers before the Election to try and boost Kamala's chances of Victory.' Can you guess who said this about former head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, without evidence? Scroll to the bottom for the answer.** Trump's Epstein Options ... The ongoing Epstein scandal continues to rock the White House. Does Trump have a way out? According to legal columnist Ankush Khardori, the options available to the president range from bad to worse. 'All have conspicuous downsides for the administration, the public or both,' he writes. Read his latest column for a breakdown of what Trump might do next — and what consequences he could suffer. Getting a little hard to keep track of who is getting fired in Washington, isn't it? If you missed the latest high-profile axing yesterday, just stick to these talking points at happy hour. Your friends won't know the difference. (From Associate Editor Dylon Jones) — If anyone raises the revisions in past job numbers Trump called out on Truth Social, show off your background knowledge about how the Bureau of Labor Statistics operates: 'Revising jobs report data isn't a sign of wrongdoing — it's routine. Collecting data about the entire U.S. economy takes time, so it's not a surprise that you'd need to make some updates as new information trickles in.' — Make yourself look like a government personnel expert with this nugget my former colleague Sam Stein shared on X: 'Trump emphasized her being a Biden appointee, but he didn't mention that she was confirmed with strong bipartisan support — including from his own VP.' — Telegraph what a sharp consumer of economic news you are with some important context: 'Is it any wonder that the bureau would be playing catch-up on the data when the administration slashed it as part of his crusade against the 'deep state'? Economists have been saying cuts to the bureau could weaken their reports for a while now, and we already knew they'd been forced to scale back data collection. Surprise, surprise: Worse collection means bigger revisions.' — Connect some dots to prove you're an astute observer of Trump's economic policies: 'Victoria Guida wrote in POLITICO that the weak jobs report might put more pressure on Jerome Powell to cut rates — and Trump took another jab at him when he announced the BLS firing. But if he's saying the weak report is fake, that would undermine the argument, no? Guess we'll see what Powell does over the next month or so.' Does JD Vance Consider You American? ... There's a new term du jour on the right, and it's making the rounds on social media — including on the Department of Homeland Security's X account: 'Heritage American,' a phrase that loosely refers to people who trace their roots to the founding generations of the United States. The idea is that who 'counts' as American isn't a matter of shared ideals or values, but rather a matter of whose family has lived here the longest. 'While the specific worldview surrounding 'heritage America' may have been incubated online, it is increasingly finding its way into the policies and rhetoric of the Trump administration,' writes Ian Ward — especially the rhetoric of Vice President JD Vance. ICE On the Farm ... Dolores Huerta, 95, has been working on farm labor issues in California for some seven decades, but she says she's never seen raids on the agriculture sector like she's seeing now, under the Trump administration's aggressive push for mass deportations. That campaign is growing concerns that there may not be enough workers to manage harvest season. Huerta spoke with Samuel Benson about the impact on farm workers — and how things could be different. The Other, Other New York Socialist ... Zohran Mamdani's upset victory in the New York Democratic mayoral primary put socialism back at the center of political debates. But Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who also rode the Bernie-Sanders-style democratic socialism train to fame, aren't the only New York comrades to win office. Mamdani could learn a thing or two if he looks back 'about eight decades to the most successful socialist to ever hold office in New York,' writes Jeff Greenfield, 'a man by the name of Vito Marcantonio.' From the drafting table of editorial cartoonist Matt Wuerker. **Who Dissed? answer: If the creative capitalization wasn't enough of a clue, it was Trump, who fired McEntarfer after the most recent jobs report showed job growth falling below expectations. He provided no evidence for his claims that the jobs report was faked, or that the BLS attempted to assist former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign. politicoweekend@
The Onion
3 days ago
- The Onion
High Noon Recalls Vodka Seltzers Mislabeled As Celsius
Certain 12-packs of Celsius energy drinks have been recalled after a packaging error led them to contain High Noon vodka seltzer instead, posing a risk of unintentional alcohol ingestion. What do you think? 'I'd hate to do damage to my liver when I was just trying to damage my heart.' Jake Squires, Elevator Tester 'Someone could have accidentally ingested a calorie.' Theresa Vo, Kazoo Tuner 'And here I was thinking my SSRIs finally started working.' Sam Bell, Fruit Peeler
CNN
3 days ago
- CNN
Dr. Sanjay Gupta exposes deepfake ads promoting fake health cures with his likeness
Dr. Sanjay Gupta exposes deepfake ads promoting fake health cures with his likeness CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks out after discovering scammers are using his likeness in AI deepfake videos and doctored images to sell bogus health cures and fake health products. 01:44 - Source: CNN Vertical Trending Now 17 videos Dr. Sanjay Gupta exposes deepfake ads promoting fake health cures with his likeness CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks out after discovering scammers are using his likeness in AI deepfake videos and doctored images to sell bogus health cures and fake health products. 01:44 - Source: CNN New research reveals origin of potatoes Scientists traced the lineage of potatoes to a wild genetic fusion about 9 million years ago between a tomato ancestor and a tuberless plant. 01:04 - Source: CNN Blake Lively to be deposed against Justin Baldoni Blake Lively is set to be deposed Thursday in her legal battle against Justin Baldoni. 00:24 - Source: CNN Amusement park ride splits in half in Saudi Arabia At least 23 people were injured, three of them critically, when a fairground ride buckled in Saudi Arabia, sending passengers crashing to the ground, according to state media. 00:33 - Source: CNN Dozens injured on Delta flight Severe turbulence struck a Delta flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam Wednesday, causing service carts and unbelted passengers to hit the ceiling and forcing an emergency landing in Minnesota, where 25 people on board were taken to hospitals. 01:01 - Source: CNN Arrest made in Arkansas hiking murders A man has been arrested in connection with the deaths of a married couple attacked and killed while hiking with their two young daughters at a state park in the Ozark Mountains, according to the Arkansas State Police. 00:45 - Source: CNN Crypto attack on OnlyFans streamer caught on camera Several crypto investors, including streamer and content creator Kaitlyn 'Amouranth' Siragusa, have been targeted in a series of violent attacks by gangs attempting to access their crypto wallets. Blockchain intelligence firms believe that the perceived anonymity and irreversibility of crypto transactions make investors an attractive target. 02:05 - Source: CNN High Noon recalls vodka seltzer mislabeled as Celsius High Noon has issued a voluntary recall after mislabeling some of its vodka seltzer as Celsius energy drinks. The FDA says no adverse events or illnesses have been reported. 00:55 - Source: CNN Jet2 holiday singer speaks out after White House uses meme British singer Jess Glynne responded to the White House's decision to use the viral TikTok sound, which includes her 2015 song "Hold My Hand" and Jet2's commercial. Glynne criticized the White House for using the audio to show the ongoing mass deportations in the United States. 01:10 - Source: CNN Fans pay tribute as emotional Sharon Osbourne lays flowers at Ozzy memorial Thousands of fans paid their respects to Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne as his hearse made its way through the streets of Birmingham, the English city where he grew up and where the band was formed in 1968. Osbourne died last Tuesday at the age of 76. 00:46 - Source: CNN Shannon Sharpe out at ESPN after settling sexual assault lawsuit Former NFL star Shannon Sharpe, who has been one of the faces of ESPN's morning sports debate show 'First Take,' is no longer with the network, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN. 00:54 - Source: CNN Crocodile gets caught underneath moving truck A bystander captured video of a crocodile caught underneath a truck driving through high water in Australia at Kakadu National Park. 00:25 - Source: CNN Beyoncé brings out Destiny's Child during final show Beyoncé reunited Destiny's Child during her concert at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland joining her on stage to perform a medley of the group's biggest hits, as part of her final Cowboy Carter show. 00:45 - Source: CNN Gwyneth Paltrow joins Astronomer as temporary spokesperson Actress and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in a new ad for Astronomer, the tech firm whose former CEO and human resources chief were caught in an awkward moment on a Jumbotron at a Coldplay concert last week. Paltrow is the ex-wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. 00:51 - Source: CNN 'South Park' skewers Trump after signing new Paramount deal In their first episode of the season, the creators of "South Park" mocked President Donald Trump and Paramount after they just signed a new $1.5 billion contract. Paramount is looking to merge with Skydance Media and needs the Trump-influenced FCC to approve the deal. 01:24 - Source: CNN Hot Chinese brands are coming to America Chinese brands like Luckin Coffee, Pop Mart, and HEYTEA are expanding in the United States, despite the ongoing trade war. CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich and Marc Stewart report from two different continents on why the companies covet American customers. 02:10 - Source: CNN Fans pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne Fans have gathered in Ozzy Osbourne's hometown to pay tribute to the former Black Sabbath singer, who died yesterday at the age of 76. One of them told CNN's Salma Abdelaziz that Osbourne will 'live on forever in his music.' 01:07 - Source: CNN
