Attorney hails $10.25 million verdict in jail inmate’s death

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – An attorney for the estate of a man who was naked and paralyzed when he died in a cell in the Tulsa County Jail’s medical unit is hailing a jury’s $10.25 million verdict in a federal civil rights trial.

Dan Smolen, attorney for the estate of Elliott Williams, says he hopes the county takes the verdict seriously.

The Tulsa World reports  that an eight-person jury deliberated for about 10 hours over two days before deciding on Monday that Williams’ civil rights were violated by the sheriff’s office and former Sheriff Stanley Glanz.

The jury ordered the sheriff’s office and Glanz to pay $10 million in compensatory damages to the Williams estate. The jury also ordered Glanz, who was sued in his private capacity, to pay $250,000 in punitive damages.