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Seventh Circuit Upholds $56.5 Million Jail Murder Verdict
Loaded on Dec. 15, 2005
published in Prison Legal News
December, 2005, page 40
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a $56.5 million jury verdict against former jail guards who murdered a pretrial detainee. This is the largest verdict for abuses against a single victim in an American jail/prison case that we are aware of.
Filed under:
Jail Misconduct,
Excessive Force,
Guard Brutality/Beatings,
Pepper Spray/Tear Gas,
Restraints,
Damages,
Municipal Liability.
Location:
Indiana.
On October 25, 1997, Christopher Moreland was arrested …
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- Death of Seattle Detainee—Jailed Despite Not Being “Grounded in Reality”—Costs King County $3.5 Million Settlement, Aug. 1, 2026. Restraints, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Excessive Force (Wrongful Death), Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Monell Liability.
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- $1.2 Million for Elderly Detainee Shoved Out the Door of Sacramento Jail by Guard, Aug. 1, 2026. Guard Brutality/Beatings, Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights.
- Report Shows Pattern of Sexual Assaults in Santa Clara County Jail, Aug. 1, 2026. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Guard Misconduct, Jail Misconduct, Corrections Audits, Failure to Protect (General).
- $30,000 Settlement Reached in Virginia Jail Death That Put Richmond Lockup Under State Oversight, Aug. 1, 2026. Jail Misconduct, Failure to Protect (General), Staffing, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Monell Liability.
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- San Diego Guard Sentenced for Shoving a Shackled Detainee, Aug. 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, False Statements/Perjury, Wrongful Use of Force.