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On August 20, 2023, Lathaniel Hutcherson was serving time behind bars at High Desert State Prison. Now, his estate is pursuing a lawsuit against the Nevada Department of Corrections for their fatal negligence.
Per the lawsuit, Trina Gill, the victim’s mother, and the victim’s young son allege that prison guards and the Department of Corrections failed to protect Hutcherson while he was serving time.
What’s more, the grieving family’s attorney says that the inmate’s death was just one more incident in a widespread pattern of deliberate indifference displayed by the department and its leadership.
According to the lawsuit, Hutcherson was attacked by another inmate who had reportedly escaped his own cage. The fact that the armed, escaped inmate evaded guards long enough to commit the murder revealed the extent of the prison’s negligence. In the months leading up to this incident, five other inmates under the age of 40 died at the same facility. According to the prison itself, three of those deaths are being investigated as potential homicides.
According to Department of Corrections officials, the increase in inmate-on-inmate violence in recent months is directly related to an increase in suspected drug use within the facilities. In recent months, multiple prisons and jails throughout Nevada have been receiving an influx of drug-laced letters in the mail. While the scam has now been uncovered, prisons and jails are still dealing with the consequences of the influx of illegal drugs.
According to the lawsuit, drugs were not the main factor in causing Hutcherson’s death. Instead, it’s alleged that defective latches, broken locks, and a lack of separation cage integrity are why the other inmate was able to breach Hutcherson’s area. Another inmate, D’marea Wallace, died in High Desert of stab wounds because a random inmate’s door “popped” open.
The Nevada Department of Corrections spokesperson, Bill Quenga, admitted that a “design flaw” exists within some of High Desert’s cell doors, but he also quickly said that officers have been trained to circumvent that issue.
According to the U.S. Constitution’s Eighth Amendment, inmates have a protected right to be safe from cruel and unusual punishment, including reasonable protection from serious harm. While prison guards can’t reasonably prevent every instance of violence, they do have a duty and responsibility to keep inmates as safe as possible. When they fail to do so, the victims (and their loved ones or estate) have a right to seek a lawsuit.
Do you believe your rights may have been violated in a recent arrest or while you’ve been in jail? If so, then it’s important to talk to an attorney about what happened.
When civil rights violations occur during an arrest, it might completely invalidate the charges against you or the “evidence” prosecutors are attempting to use against you. Contact our legal team now by leaving your details on our online form to get a free, full case evaluation.
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