FORIMMEDIATERELEASE CONTACT:JimBrayMarch10,2016 217-494-5532

LawsuitAllegesSt.ClairCountySheriff’sOfficersRefusedtoCareforSuicidalManCausinghisDeath

EASTST.LOUIS,Ill.–St.ClairCountySheriff’sDepartmentofficersexposedamanlivingwithmentalillnesstofilthy,overcrowdedlivingconditions;heldhiminisolation;beathim;andignoredandlaughedathissuicidethreats–practicesthatledtothe2014deathofJoshuaJurcichbysuicide,accordingtoalawsuitfiledThursdayintheU.S.DistrictCourtfortheSouthernDistrictofIllinois.NamingSt.ClairCountySheriffRichardWatson;MajorPhillipMcLaurin;20St.ClairCountySheriff’sDepartmentofficials;WexfordHealthSources,thecounty’sjailmentalhealthprovider;andvariousmedicalandmentalhealthprofessionalsasdefendants,thecomplaintallegesthattheofficialsviolatedJurcich’srightsundertheconstitutionbyusingexcessiveforceagainsthimandrefusingtoprotecthimfromtheriskofsuicide.ThecomplaintalsoincludesclaimsundertheAmericanswithDisabilitiesActandallegesthatthecountyofficialsandcontractorsareliableforJurcich’swrongfuldeath.Jurcich’sestateisrepresentedbyVanessadelValle,SheilaA.Bedi,LockeBowman,andDavidShapiro,attorneyswiththeRoderickandSolangeMacArthurJusticeCenter,apublicinterestlawfirmthatispartofNorthwesternPritzkerSchoolofLaw’sBluhmLegalClinicinChicago.BellevilleattorneyLatoyaBerryalsorepresentsJurcich’sestateinthecase.ThecomplaintdescribesJurcichasadevotedfatherandlovingsonwholivedwithbothaddictionandmentalillness.HewasbookedintotheSt.ClairCountyJailonMarch6,2014,onchargesofpossessionofacontrolledsubstance.Officialsimmediatelyplacedhiminsegregation.OnMarch11,2014,jailstaffbeatJurcichbecauseherefusedtoreturntoasegregationcell.Immediatelyafterthebeating,jailstaffmovedJurcichtoamaximumsecuritycell.Whilehousedthere,Jurcichactivelyvoicedhisintenttocommitsuicide.

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Page2March10,2016ThelawsuitstatesthatuponbeingmadeawareofJurcich’ssuicidalideation,onesheriff’sdeputyresponded,“He’sjustgoingtobeanotherdeadmotherf***erthen.”Jailstafffailedtotakeanyeffortstoprotectorappropriatelysupervise.Jurcich.Lessthaneighthoursafterthebeating,jailstafffoundJurcichhanginginhiscell.Jurcichwastransportedtothehospitalwherehediedtwodayslater.ArecentstudyfromtheU.S.DepartmentofJusticeBureauofJusticeStatisticsfoundthatsuicidehasbeentheleadingcauseofdeathinjailseveryyearsince2000.Inaddition,a2010studypublishedbytheU.S.DepartmentofJusticeNationalInstituteofCorrectionsreportedthat47percentofjailsuicidesweredetaineeswhohadahistoryofsubstanceabuse,38percentofjailsuicidesweredetaineeswhohadahistoryofmentalillness,and50percentofjailsuicidesoccurredwithin14daysofconfinement.Jurcichexhibitedseveralofthesuicideriskfactors—hewasayoungmalewithahistoryofmentalhealthissuesandsubstanceabuseproblems.Yet,asallegedinthecomplaint,“inthehoursleadinguptoMr.Jurcich’ssuicide,theofficersfailedtoadequatelyconductregularlyscheduledcellchecks.TheofficersneverconductedasafetycheckonMr.Jurcichafterhewasmovedtothemaximumsecuritycell.TheDefendantsknewMr.Jurcichwasasuicideriskandtheyfailedtotakemeasurestomonitorandprotecthim—theyfailedtoprovidehimadequatementalhealthservices,theyfailedtoplacehiminasuicide-proofcell,andtheyfailedtoconductregularchecksonhimwhilehewasinhiscell.Bytheiractions,theDefendantsintentionallydisregardedtheknownandsubstantialriskthatMr.Jurcichwouldharmhimselfwhileintheircustody.”ThecomplaintseeksunspecifiedmoneydamagesonbehalfofJurcich’sestate.PDFofthelawsuitishere:http://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/macarthur/projects/treatment/other.html

###AbouttheRoderickandSolangeMacArthurJusticeCenterTheRoderickandSolangeMacArthurJusticeCenteradvocatesforhumanrightsandsocialjusticethroughlitigation.Asoneofthenation'spremiercivilrightsorganizations,theMacArthurJusticeCenterhasplayedaprominentroleinbringingChicagopolicemisconductandtorturetothepublic'sattentionandhashelpedwrongfullyconvictedmenandwomenwinmulti-milliondollarverdictsandsettlementsascompensationforthetimetheyspentinprison.Foradditionalinformation,visithttp://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/macarthur/