DISTRICT COURT Family sues Mahoning jail over inmate's hanging death

The lawsuit alleges jail staff did not check on the man every 10 minutes as required by law.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The estate of a 31-year-old truck driver who hanged himself in the Mahoning County jail two years ago has filed a lawsuit in federal court, claiming deputies failed to prevent the death.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on behalf of the kin of Jason Yeager -- wife, son and two daughters -- lists the board of county commissioners, Sheriff Randall A. Wellington, Warden Alki Santamas, Deputy Sheriff Christine Wymer and 10 unnamed deputies, jailers or employees of the Mahoning County Justice Center. The lawsuit, filed by Youngstown Atty. Damian A. Billak, was posted Monday in court records.
The action seeks compensatory damages in excess of $250,000, punitive damages in excess of $250,000, attorney fees and additional relief to be determined by the court. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Peter C. Economus.
Lawsuit claims
The plaintiffs claim that when Yeager, of Austintown, was incarcerated April 9, 2003, jail staff failed to properly diagnose and detect the degree to which he was suicidal. Also, jail staff allegedly failed to visually check him every 10 minutes as required by law.
The morning of May 23, 2003, Wymer, the only deputy assigned to Yeager's pod, failed to check on him for more than 30 minutes, the lawsuit states. The guards on duty that night failed to make proper rounds, and Yeager was hanging long enough to commit suicide before he was discovered, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit does not say why Yeager was in the jail. Billak said Monday that Yeager was booked on an assault charge and jail staff knew he had suicidal tendencies.
The plaintiffs allege that jail personnel did not receive a minimum of 120 hours of suicide prevention, detection, intervention and response training. Knowing Yeager had attempted suicide before, the sheriff's department should have placed him on an intensive suicide watch, the lawsuit states.
The sheriff could not be reached Monday evening.