Sangamon County Jail officials have been dealing with a federal lawsuit for five years due to their alleged participation in the death of Paul Carlock, an accused pedophile.  The legal fees alone have escalated to approximately $2 million for Sangamon County, and Carlock’s widow, Mary L. Andreatta-Carlock, is looking for more. 

Ms. Andreatta-Carlock has filed a motion for mediation and Sangamon County officials are in agreement with the plan, although they have stated that the county has little authority regarding money issued to settle the case.  However, Andy Ramage, the attorney for Sangamon County’s Sheriff Neil Williamson has stated that they are agreeing to mediation because it is an opportunity for both sides in the dispute to sit down and discuss the details of it with a neutral, third party.  “It may or may not be the end of this case.  There’s no way to know until we go through the process.  We’ve agreed to hear what the plaintiff has to say,” says Ramage.

The details of the lawsuit include accusations from Ms. Andreatta-Carlock that the jail officials failed to provide the proper medical care Carlock needed while he was held there on federal charges of child pornography and molestation. According to investigators, Carlock allegedly had pornographic photos on his digital camera and laptop—charges that were denied by Carlock.  However, Carlock was never able to defend himself in court due to the fact that he passed away before the case was heard by a jury.

According to Ms. Andreatta-Carlock, her husband was a diabetic and had also dealt with depression.  She accused the jailers of the Sangamon County Jail of not only failing to provide proper medical attention to her husband when he needed, but also using excessive force (including the use of a Taser) against her husband.  She also accused the county of destroying emails that would have provided further insight on the case and how her husband was treated while in custody.