The children of an inmate who died in the Orange County Jail two years ago filed a million dollar lawsuit Thursday in the 260th District Court. Jessica Bush and Jason Atchley are seeking monetary damages greater than one million dollars against the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for the wrongful death of their father Joda Lewis Atchley who was incarcerated in the Orange County Jail in September 2013. A week after being incarcerated in the jail, Atchley suffered a brain aneurism on September 18 that led to his death. The lawsuit claims while in the jail Atchley was denied life saving medication for high blood pressure despite being informed of these medications upon being booked in the jail. The lawsuit also claims that the Orange County correctional facility had knowledge that Atchley had previously suffered a stroke. The jail’s medication log indicates that Atchley’s medication had been dispensed to him on September 17 and 18, however, the lawsuit states Atchley’s drug screen taken at the hospital he was taken to after he passed out was negative. His death certificate and toxicology reports from the medical examiner indicate he failed to receive medication upon demand and was not allowed an aspirin for a headache, a symptom of a brain aneurism. County Judge Brint Carlton received word of the lawsuit from a Sheriff’s deputy Thursday afternoon about 4:00, but had no comment on the details of it. -Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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