Former inmate files suit against county

A former Milam County Jail inmate filed a federal lawsuit against several Milam County officials and jail employees on April 2.

The lawsuit filed by John L. Robertson, a Milam County resident, sues Sheriff David Greene, District Attorney William Torrey, Chief Deputy Chris White, former captain and jail supervisor Katrina Douglas, Jailer Jonathan Mendoza, Jailer Cindy McBee, Jailer Joshua Hughes, Jail Nurse Stephanie Vargas, Dr. Stuart J. Yoffe and Capt. Ryan Blankenmeyer.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Waco Division.

The lawsuit seeks actual and punitive damages against all of the defendants, though no amount is specified. 

Robertson’s lawsuit said he was on probation in 2016 for an assault charge and he wanted treatment for drug addiction. He voluntarily went into the Milam County Jail on June 20, 2016, to await transfer to a drug treatment facility, when he was assaulted by Milam County jail guards.

Back in 2016, Robertson’s lawyers had requested the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Texas Commission on Jail Standards to investigate the claim that Robertson had been attacked by jail guards, suffering a serious leg injury and had a tooth knocked out. The suit goes on to say that both organizations are investigating the incident.

According to the lawsuit, because of his injuries, Robertson said he couldn’t pay his probation fees and child support. In May 2017 a motion was filed to revoke Robertson’s probation. Robertson’s attorney sent a letter to the district attorney’s office explaining the reasons why his client couldn’t pay the fees. The letter explained Robertson’s injuries, reportedly caused in the jail, and his hospitalization and permanent disability. 

The lawsuit states that Robertson was arrested on June 10, 2017, because of a motion to revoke probation and failure to pay child support. He reportedly was held in the jail for two months, never arraigned and no attorney was appointed to represent him even though he was indigent, the lawsuit said.

Requests to transfer Robertson to another facility were supposedly disregarded, and Robertson’s high blood pressure and back injury were untreated, the lawsuit says. 

Robertson’s lawsuit asks for a judgment against all the defendants for damages to be determined by the court, along with pre-judgment interest at the maximum rate allowed by law, post-judgment interest at the legal rate, court costs, attorney fees and any further relief to which he is entitled.