Stiltner v. Crouse.

• Position: Cases of wrongful death - Brief Article

U.S. District Court

WRONGFUL DEATH

Stiltner v. Crouse, 327 F.Supp.2d 667 (W.D.Va. 2004). The father of a pretrial detainee who committed suicide in jail brought a [section] 1983 action against jailers. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the jailers. The court held that the jailers were not deliberately indifferent to the substantial risk of harm to the detainee, and that they were not negligent in their handling of the detainee. The 39-year-old detainee had been arrested for suspicion of operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs and was waiting for her bond to be posted at a county jail. She was placed in a holding cell. Several hours later jailers discovered that she was...