Court Rules County Not Responsible for Attack on Inmate

The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that Anderson County is not liable for damages beyond medical costs for Kenneth E. King, an inmate who sustained injuries from an attack by cellmates, the Administrative Office of the Courts reports. “There is no evidence that Anderson County Detention Facility officials knew or should have known that Mr. King would become the victim of an attack by his cellmates after he was returned to his cell to await pretrial release,” Justice Cornelia A. Clark wrote in the opinion. In a dissenting opinion, Chief Justice Gary R. Wade disagreed, deferring to the trial court’s finding that Anderson County was liable for King’s injuries, which were sustained after officials failed to timely release him from jail.