Text messages and surveillance footage revealed the horrific truth: A jail inmate told staff, "I'm trying to kill myself right now," yet they did nothing. Eight hours later, he was found dead. Sean Dormer returns for his third podcast appearance alongside civil rights attorney Spencer Bryan to discuss their groundbreaking $4 million verdict on behalf of the inmate’s family. Host Keith Fuicelli explores how they overcame the deliberately indifferent standard, defeated qualified immunity at the 10th Circuit, and secured what appears to be Colorado's largest jail suicide verdict. Their victory came despite defense counsel telling jurors that the inmate "valued his life at nothing because he killed himself."
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Episode Snapshot
- An inmate named Jackson told jail staff "I'm trying to kill myself right now" while banging his head against the cell wall
- The jail captain repeated Jackson's words, acknowledging he heard the suicidal statement, yet no suicide watch was implemented.
- One jailer was criminally charged for falsifying cell check logs, claiming he checked on Jackson when he never did.
- Jackson's body wasn't discovered for eight hours despite industry standards requiring hourly checks for non-suicidal inmates.
- The trial team overcame qualified immunity challenges and prevailed at the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals
- Colorado Open Records Act requests revealed inconsistent police reports and preserved crucial surveillance footage
- Defense strategy backfired when counsel told jurors that Jackson "valued his life at nothing because he killed himself."
- The $4 million verdict appears to be Colorado's largest jail suicide award and among the top 10 nationally.
- In an emotional courtroom moment, Jackson’s mo
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