The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal by Montgomery County seeking immunity in a wrongful death lawsuit involving a jail inmate who died in 2012 during a medical emergency.
Attorneys for the county's insurance company sought the protection denied by a federal judge. Attorneys for the estate of Robert Richardson Senior allege jail employees improperly handcuffed and subdued him after his cellmate sought assistance. The lawsuit said Richardson was "essentially crushed to death." The county's review concluded jail employees followed procedure and provided basic care. The coroner's office determined Richardson's death was an "accident due to cardiac arrhythmia."