Curtis Pounds Died In Custody At The Los Angeles County Medical Center

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (November 16, 2023) – An inmate identified as Curtis Pounds has tragically died following a medical emergency at the Los Angeles County Medical Center.

Los Angeles County officials are saying that the death took place on October 11. Curtis Pounds was in some type of medical distress and taken to the hospital in order to receive treatment.

Despite medical efforts, his condition continued to decline. Curtis Pounds was later pronounced dead by medical staff.

His cause of death was listed as sepsis and infective endocarditis. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.

 

Liability For Los Angeles County Inmate Deaths

Los Angeles County has one of the highest instances of inmate deaths across California. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, a total of 41 people have died in-custody so far this year. This has prompted a number of activists to call for reforms. There are a number of common causes of inmate death.

• Drug overdoses
• Heart disease
• Cancer suicide
• Homicide

Every jail has a legal obligation to provide inmates with adequate care for all of their medical conditions. Inmates with chronic health conditions should get more extensive care. If a jail fails to treat the medical needs of an inmate, this could lead to serious injury or death. This may also run afoul of constitutional requirements. When a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. There have been many complaints about how inmates across LA have been denied proper care.

• Many inmates with serious medical health needs have not received any help.
• Many inmates are not getting the medication that they need.
• Many inmates have not gotten proper care during a drug overdose.

It can be hard to know where to begin after any in-custody death. To make matters worse,  jails are rarely transparent about how an inmate in their care died. It is important for inmates and their families to understand that they do have rights. The family of any person that died in-custody may have legal recourse through a constitutional claim. A civil rights attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case free of cost and let you know what your legal options are.

 

Investigating Los Angeles County Inmate Deaths

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of Curtis Pounds. Any person that may have more information about what happened should speak with investigators. There have been so many deaths across Los Angeles County. It is our sincere hope that measures are taken to prevent similar tragedies.

Do you need more information about a Los Angeles County inmate death? Our team of civil rights attorneys are here for you. We focus entirely on helping people who have been harmed by police abuses of power and jail medical neglect. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, investigation into any in-custody death we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (949) 825-5200.