$1.9M Wrongful Death Settlement After California Inmate’s Death

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A $1.9M settlement could settle a California wrongful death lawsuit following the death of an inmate that the plaintiff claims should have been protected after being questioned about his cellmate's illegal drug dealing activity. 

The Case: Castro v State Court

The Court: United States District Court-Sacramento

The Case No.: 2:18-cv-02115-KJM-EFB

The Plaintiff: Castro v State Court

The decedent in the case, Rodrick Castro, was an inmate at Salinas Valley State Prison when he was questioned regarding his cellmate's drug dealing activity. According to court documents, the cellmate allegedly saw Castro being questioned on October 23, 2017, and Castro was killed the next day. The plaintiffs in the case are Castro's parents and Castro's three children. The plaintiffs alleged that the prison staff and officials failed to fulfill their responsibility to keep Castro safe by separating him from rival gang members who sought to harm him.

The Defendant: Castro v State Court

The plaintiffs in the case sued: 

  • The State of California (which operated the prison)

  • Kimberly Seibel (the warden of the prison)

  • R. Adolfson (a corrections officer)

  • The CDCR California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Ralph Diaz

The Defendants' response disputed all the allegations included in the complaint.

The Case:  Castro v State Court

The case Castro v State Court is based on the alleged wrongful death of Rodrick Castro. According to the court documents, Rodrick Castro (33) was questioned about allegations that a former cellmate had been involved in drug dealing. Castro was questioned on October 23, 2017. The lawsuit alleges that Castro's Salinas Valley State Prison cellmate witnessed the interrogation before Castro was transferred to another facility. The next day, Castro was found dead. He was stabbed 92 times with an ice-pick-shaped object. The family filed suit claiming wrongful death. In addition to failing in their overall responsibility to protect an inmate questioning had placed in danger, the plaintiffs allege that video recordings from the prison show that had guards properly monitored the live video feed, they would have seen suspected inmates planning the attack on Castro. However, the corrections officers allegedly failed to monitor the feed that would have allowed them to move Castro before he was killed. Court records show that the parties in the wrongful death lawsuit reported a $1.9 million settlement to the court on August 29, 2019.

If you have questions about how to file a California wrongful death lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced wrongful death attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.