Daughter of man who died in jail files wrongful death suit
May 9—The daughter of a man who died in the Santa Fe County jail in 2022 has filed a new lawsuit accusing the county, the city of Santa Fe and Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center of negligence in his death.
According to the lawsuit filed recently in state District Court, Niall Clinton, 67, had a severe heart condition that was further complicated by his alcoholism and severe intoxication when he was arrested April 23, 2022, on an aggravated drunken-driving charge.
Prior to his arrest, Clinton had been driving on a sidewalk before crashing his vehicle into a light pole, the lawsuit states. He sustained contusions to the front and back of his head, it states.
Clinton had an open bottle of Yukon Jack liquor in his vehicle, a 0.21 breath-alcohol level and was "so intoxicated that not only could he not walk" but he "had to be completely supported and physically carried by the arresting officer, almost falling many times during the arrest encounter," the lawsuit says.
He was taken to Christus St. Vincent's emergency room for screening, the complaint says, but was released without screening or treatment that would have prevented him from dying.
The lawsuit does not list Clinton's official cause of death. Attorney Juan Valencia, who filed the complaint on behalf of Clinton's daughter Sunita Anrubio, declined to comment Tuesday.
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of malpractice, negligence and violating Clinton's civil rights by not ensuring his well-being while in custody and seeks an unspecified amount of damages.
Spokespeople for Christus St. Vincent, the city and the Santa Fe Police Department all declined via email to comment on the case.
One person has died in the county jail in 2024 so far. Three people died there in 2023, six in 2022 and two in 2021, according to previous reports. Four of the jail deaths in the last three years appear to have been caused by drug overdoses, while three were attributed to suicide.
