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Two law firms have sent Multnomah County letters indicating they are weighing lawsuits over the deaths of two men in county jails. Both letters, reviewed by WW, indicate the two firms are investigating the deaths and demand that the county retain evidence.
The county received the first letter Aug. 17 from J. William Savage on behalf of the estate of 36-year-old Clemente Pineda, who was found unresponsive in the county’s downtown jail on Aug. 1. His death was the most recent in an unprecedented string of six deaths in county custody so far this year (see “The Doctor Is Out,” in this week’s paper).
The letter references the circumstances of his death, first reported by WW, and threatens a wrongful death lawsuit. Pineda was known to be lying face down on the floor in the hours prior to his death, but received no medical care (“Cell Death,” WW, Aug. 16).
The second letter was sent Sept. 12 by Juan C. Chavez, saying the Oregon Justice Resource Center is representing the father of 31-year-old Josiah Pierce, who died July 19 in the county’s eastside Inverness Jail. The letter demands that the county retain records related to Pierce’s death, and adds that his father “retains the right to bring any claims as they come to light.”