The family of a woman who died in September 2021 while in the custody of the Tarrant County Jail has settled a lawsuit with Tarrant County for $750,000.
Dean Malone, a lawyer representing the family of 52-year-old Georgia Baldwin, said on Sept. 27, a federal lawsuit filed last year had been through mediation and settled with the county.
“It is unfortunate in cases like this that counties do not at the beginning of a case, when they already know everything that happened, make a meaningful effort to resolve the case. We filed this case well over a year ago," Malone said. "Regardless, even though the judgment amount is inadequate when measured against the suffering and loss of life, if nothing else, perhaps resolution of this case will lead to changes not only in the Tarrant County jail, but also other jails across Texas."
Malone said the county agreed to a judgment of $750,000 in the case after they alleged the county, among other things, understaffed the jail and failed to provide mental health treatment to inmates.
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In the lawsuit, Malone said Baldwin had been jailed after police said she left multiple profane voicemail messages for an Arlington police officer saying she wanted one or more people to die and asking if the officer was going to arrest someone in connection with the Amber Hagerman case.
"It was clear from her voicemail messages that she had significant mental health issues," Malone said after the settlement. "Regardless, she was arrested and incarcerated in the Tarrant County jail for a lengthy period of time."
Malone said while she was held at the Tarrant County Jail, Baldwin continued to suffer mental health episodes and was not provided mental health treatment.
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"Baldwin, through her many statements and actions, showed that she was out of touch with reality," Malone said.
The lawsuit said Baldwin was taken into custody on April 27, 2021, and died in the jail on Sept. 14, 2021. A report from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office said she died of “severe hypernatremia," a high concentration of sodium in the blood, with "etiology undetermined."
The lawsuit said Baldwin was not being treated for severe hypernatremia.
