SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) — El Dorado County is blamed for the death of a California man suffering withdrawal symptoms while in custody.
The Estate of Jonathan Madrigal, Luis Madrigal and Carmen Madrigal filed a complaint Nov. 15, 2023, in Sacramento federal court against County of El Dorado, El Dorado County Sheriff's and others alleging violation of civil rights.
Jonathan Madrigal, according to the plaintiffs' complaint, was 31 years old at the time he was arrested and booked into the El Dorado County Jail on Oct. 18, 2022, after ingesting methamphetamine.
They allege Jonathan Madrigal had a history of disability that included physical and mental conditions that prevented him from caring for himself. He had suffered from substance dependency and had been prescribed medications for years.
The plaintiffs claim that the jail staff knew that Madrigal was suffering from the effects of overdose/withdrawal during his incarceration and that the medical staff failed to provide necessary medical care including timely screening, observation and treatment or transportation to an outside facility.
According to the plaintiffs' complaint, Madrigal was found unresponsive in his cell and died from methamphetamine intoxication on Oct. 21, 2022.
The plaintiffs seek monetary relief, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. They are represented by Mark Merin and Paul Masuhara of The Law Office of Mark E. Merin in Sacramento.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California case number 2:23-CV-02673-MCE-AC