Inmate Victor Cordoba-Moreno Died In Custody At Fannin County Jail
FANNIN COUNTY, TEXAS (November 9, 2023) - An inmate identified as Victor Cordoba-Moreno has tragically died following a medical emergency at a Fannin County Jail.
Fannin County officials are saying that the death took place on October 13. He was in the custody of the Fannin County Sheriff's Department. Correctional officers noticed that Victor Cordoba-Moreno was having difficultly breathing and was vomiting.
He was placed into a wheelchair and taken to a medical unit. At some point during his time in the medical ward he became unresponsive and medical staff began CPR.
Paramedics were called to the scene in order to take over life-saving measures. Sadly, Victor Cordoba-Moreno was not able to be revived and he was later pronounced dead.
At the time of his death, it appears that he was on medication for GI bleeding. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Fannin County Inmate Deaths
People enter the prison system with a variety of health challenges. According to the Annual Review of Sociology, “The leading causes of death were heart disease (annual rate of 68 per 100,000 prisoners) and cancer (58 per 100,000), followed by liver diseases (25 per 100,000), AIDS (18 per 100,000), and suicide (15 per 100,000).” There are many steps that jails should take in order to reduce in-custody deaths.
- Jails should have adequate healthcare facilities and well-trained staff. Many medical conditions can be treated in-house and should be identified early on.
- When a jail lacks the ability to treat the specific needs of an inmate, they must transport the inmate to a hospital.
- Jails should study all of the deaths that take place in their care. When a jail is unaware of why any inmate died, the same mistakes that may have contributed to that death may be repeated.
Depending on the facts of any case, a jail could be liable for the death of any person in-custody. Jails have a legal obligation to provide inmates with adequate healthcare for their medical needs. This starts when an inmate is first admitted. Any medical conditions that they have should be identified and treated. There are many illnesses that can lead to an inmate fatality.
- Infectious diseases including tuberculosis, influence and Covid-19
- Chronic medical conditions such as heart disease
- Substance abuse disorders as well as withdrawal complications
When a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. The family of any person that died in-custody may have legal recourse through a legal action. Sadly, though, jails will often do everything that they can to deny liability if someone dies in custody. This is why it is so important to seek out legal counsel early on. A civil rights attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case and let you know if any in-custody death was due to medical neglect.
Investigating Fannin County In-Custody Deaths
We at Scott H. Palmer, P.C. extend our deepest condolences to the family of Victor Cordoba-Moreno. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. The number of in-custody deaths across Texas is truly alarming. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent other tragedies like this.
Do you need more information about a Fannin County in-custody death? Our team of civil rights attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that inmates are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any in-custody death we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 214-987-4100.