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Cook County, Illinois to Pay $1.7 Million for Former Marine’s Suicide in Jail
by Douglas Ankney
In April 2019, the Cook County Board of Commissioners agreed to pay $1.7 million to settle a lawsuit over the death of Devin Lynch, a Marine Corps veteran and active reservist, while he was held at the Cook County Jail.
Lynch, 26, was booked …
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More from this issue:
- News in Brief
- Alaska Pays $400,000 to Settle Jail Prisoner’s Wrongful Death Suit, by Douglas Ankney
- Report: Summit Food Services Provides Inadequate Nutrition at Missouri Jail, by Kevin Bliss
- Maricopa County Pays $300,000 to Settle Lawsuit Over Arpaio-Era Prisoner Death, by Matthew Clarke
- Mississippi Prison Deaths Spike for Second Year; Disturbing Photos Revealed, by Matthew Clarke, David M. Reutter
- Illinois DOC Interferes with Prisoners’ College Program by Removing Books, by Edward Lyon
- Lawsuits Challenge Florida Law that Undermines Voting Rights Ballot Initiative, by David M. Reutter
- Third Circuit Affirms Refusal to Appoint Successive Counsel in Prisoner’s Civil Rights Case, by David M. Reutter
- Oregon Sheriff Places Own Head on the Chopping Block for Budget Cuts, by Kevin Bliss
- $2 Million Settlement in Lawsuit Over California Jail Prisoner’s Suicide, by Matthew Clarke
- California Court of Appeal Reverses Convictions for Possession of Marijuana in Prison, by Dale Chappell
- Second Circuit: Discharge Health Plan Part of In-Custody Mental Health Treatment When Pretrial Detainees Released, by Edward Lyon
- Oregon Supreme Court Reverses Course: Secretly Taping Prisoner’s Statements Does Not Violate Right to Counsel, by Mark Wilson
- Arizona DOC Publishes, Then Rescinds, Prison Tour Policy that Excluded Public Officials and Media, by Matthew Clarke
- Denver Tries to End Private Prison Companies’ Halfway House Contracts, by Matthew Clarke
- Lawsuit: Woman Gave Birth Alone in Colorado Jail Cell, by Kevin Bliss
- Connecticut Prison Writing Program Leads to Lawsuits, by David M. Reutter
- Third Circuit: Showers Part of Prison Operations for ADA and RA Purposes, by David M. Reutter
- Investigations into Texas Jail Deaths Find Thousands of Guards Untrained, on Temporary Licenses, by Matthew Clarke
- Former DOC Employee Awarded $300,000 in Workplace Sexual Harassment Case, by Matthew Clarke
- New York State Prisoner Wins Medical Malpractice Suit, Awarded $30,000, by Edward Lyon
- As Climate Changes, High Temperatures Plague Prisons and Jails, by Matthew Clarke
- Former Hawaii Prisoner’s Sexual Assault Lawsuit Settles for Paltry $10,000, by Edward Lyon
- The Sentencing Project Issues Report on Reducing Excessive Punishment for Violent Crimes, by Matthew Clarke
- California Federal Court Orders City to Pay $150,000 for Failure to Comply with Jail Settlement, by Chad Marks
- Fourth Circuit: Three Tasings in 70 Seconds May Constitute Excessive Force, by David M. Reutter
- California Prisoner Wins $365,000 Settlement for Assault by Jail Guards, by Scott Grammer
- Denial of Summary Judgment for Prison Officials Affirmed in West Virginia Excessive Force Case, by Scott Grammer
- Michigan Prisoner Prevails in First Amendment Retaliation Case; $30,000 in Damages and Attorney Fees, by David M. Reutter
- Cook County, Illinois to Pay $1.7 Million for Former Marine’s Suicide in Jail, by Douglas Ankney
- Court Grants Remittitur in Former Prison Teacher’s Sexual Harassment Case – Total Award of $6.4 Million Plus Fees, Costs, Interest, by Matthew Clarke
- Arizona Prisoner Receives $175,000 after Guards Read His Legal Mail, Shared it with FBI and Prosecutors, by Matthew Clarke
- Author John Grisham Pens Editorial Criticizing Death Penalty in North Carolina, by Scott Grammer
- Santa Clara County Jail Captain Accused of Misconduct, Retires, by Scott Grammer
- Family of California Prisoner Who Committed Suicide Settles Suit for $595,000, by Scott Grammer
- California County Settles Jail Death for $300,000, by Edward Lyon
- Alabama Jail Prisoner Accused of Conspiring to Get Pregnant, Claiming Rape, by Douglas Ankney
- Tenth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of New Mexico Prisoner’s First Amendment Claims, by Scott Grammer
- North Carolina Prisoners Sue Over Gang Violence, Obtain $62,500 Settlement
- Hepatitis C Treatment Ordered in North Carolina Prisons, by David M. Reutter
- $157,000 Settlement in Michigan DOC Employee Discrimination Case, by David M. Reutter
- Congressional Black Caucus Institute Accepts Donations from Private Prison Companies, by Matthew Clarke
- Exploiting Prisoners on Prime Time, by Edward Lyon
- Three Louisiana Prisoners Cleared in 1994 Rape of Another Prisoner, by David M. Reutter
- Veteran Oregon Jail Guard Indicted and Jailed, by Mark Wilson
- Federal Court Sanctions New Mexico Corrections Department Over Out-of-State Legal Mail, by Matthew Clarke
- Survey: Jail Population Down but Incarceration Rates Higher for Whites, Women, by Jayson Hawkins
- Why Our Movement Can’t Afford to Ignore Private Prison Corporations, by Caroline Isaacs
- Audit Finds Mississippi Private Prison Plagued by Violence, Run by Gangs, by Kevin Bliss
- Infamous Louisiana Sheriff on His Way Out, by David M. Reutter
- San Francisco to Cut Costs for Jail Phone Calls, Commissary Sales, by Edward Lyon
- Vermont Supreme Court Remands Prison Correspondence Claim, by Edward Lyon
- Class Certified in Lawsuit Challenging Missouri Parole Violation Procedures, by David M. Reutter
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Mentally Ill Prisoners’ Suit Against GEO Group Survives Motion to Dismiss, by Douglas Ankney
- California Tried to Fix Its Prisons. Now County Jails Are More Deadly, by Jason Pohl, Ryan Gabrielson
More from Douglas Ankney:
- Second Circuit Vacates Above-Guidelines Firearm-Trafficking Sentence Based on Failure to Assist Law Enforcement and Unexplained Reliance on Factors Already Included in Guidelines Range, Sept. 1, 2026
- Ninth Circuit Reverses Convictions, Holding Requirement That Defendant Testify Before Displaying Hand Tattoos Violates Fifth Amendment, Sept. 1, 2026
- Ohio Supreme Court Announces Postconviction DNA-Testing Orders Need Only Identify Statutory Reason to Satisfy R.C. 2953.73(D) “Reasons” Requirement, Sept. 1, 2026
- Idaho Legislature Moves to Hide Execution Protocol from Judicial Scrutiny, Sept. 1, 2026
- New Jersey Court Rules That Denial of Transgender Prisoner’s Transfer Request Violates Neither Discrimination Law nor Equal Protection Clause, Sept. 1, 2026
- Federal Court Upholds Consultants’ Finding that Oklahoma Is Not Honoring Its Consent Decree to Provide Mental Health Treatment, Sept. 1, 2026
- BOP Denies Providing Substandard Dialysis Treatment Despite Prisoners’ Deaths, Court Filings, Understaffing and Lack of Oversight, Sept. 1, 2026
- New Jersey Supreme Court Orders Plenary Hearing Before Special Adjudicator on Reliability of Fingerprint Evidence, Holding Century of Judicial Acceptance Did Not Satisfy Trial Court’s Gatekeeping Obligation Under N.J.R.E. 702, Aug. 1, 2026
- En Banc Eleventh Circuit Announces All Parents, Including Those Convicted of Child-Sex Offenses, Enjoy Fundamental Right to Live With Their Children, Holding Alabama Residency Prohibition Subject to Strict Scrutiny, Aug. 1, 2026
- Seventh Circuit Announces Courts May Examine Individual Officer’s Subjective Purpose When Assessing Whether Warrantless Administrative Inspection Was Pretextual, Holding Suppression Required Where Trooper’s Sole Motive for Stop Was Criminal Investigati, Aug. 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- L.A. County Begins Making Nearly $5 Billion in Payouts to Survivors of Sex Abuse in Juvenile Detention, Sept. 1, 2026. Sexual Assault, Staff-Prisoner Assault, Prisoner-Prisoner Assault, Guard Misconduct, Jail Misconduct, Settlements, Juvenile Offenses/Offenders.
- Mississippi DOC Held Mentally Unwell Prisoners in Solitary, Many Died Because of It, Sept. 1, 2026. Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides, Staff Training, Deliberate Indifference.
- Florida DOC Rebuked for Seizing Prisoner’s Excessive Force Settlement to Cover Incarceration Liens, Sept. 1, 2026. Summary Judgment, Settlements, Seizure of Prisoner Funds, Trust Accounts, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights.
- $800,000 Settlement Reached in Hawai‘i Jail Suicide Case, Sept. 1, 2026. Staffing, Failure to Train/Supervise, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides.
- Rising Deaths in Los Angeles County Jail Linked to Longer Stays, Sept. 1, 2026. Systemic Medical Neglect, Drug Overdose, Statistics/Trends, Suicides, Reduction of Prison Population.
- $500,000 for Mentally Ill Detainee Beaten by Guard at Ohio Jail, Sept. 1, 2026. Guard Brutality/Beatings, Summary Judgment, Settlements, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Monell Liability.
- $3 Million Paid by San Diego County for Diabetic Detainee’s Jail Death; NaphCare Settles Separately for Undisclosed Amount, Sept. 1, 2026. Naphcare, Diabetes, Failure to Treat, Settlements, Medical Neglect/Malpractice.
- Michigan DOC Legal Payouts Top $7 Million in FY 2025, Less than One Percent of $2.15 Billion Operating Budget, Sept. 1, 2026. Statistics/Trends, Cost of Prison Systems, Damages, Settlements.
- $11 Million Paid by Boston to Exonerated Prisoner for 37-Year Wrongful Incarceration, Sept. 1, 2026. Settlements, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment, Monell Liability, Withholding of Exculpatory Evidence.
- Hawai‘i Pays $600,000 for Prisoner’s Withdrawal Death, Sept. 1, 2026. Medication, Drug/Alcohol Withdrawal, Failure to Treat, Settlements, Medical Neglect/Malpractice.

