ARDMORE – The Carter County Commission on Monday voted to settle a lawsuit regarding the death of Michael Manos while he was incarcerated at the Carter County Jail. The lawsuit was first filed in 2017 by Jeanne Bennett, Manos’s mother, and claimed that jail staff at the time had violated her son’s constitutional rights. The District Attorney’s office says in a statement that the settlement was reached after evidence was uncovered during the trial that would have been detrimental to defendants.
According to The Tulsa World, the $3.2 million settlement was reached after medical records were found during the trial that showed jail staff did not regularly offer diabetic medication to Manos during his incarceration. Details of the settlement have not been independently verified.
Court records say Manos was serving a four-month sentence for assault and battery in October 2015. Jail staff documented at least two instances of Manos smearing himself and his cell with his bodily waste, and at least one transfer to a medical cell. A judge agreed to have Manos released to his mother on November 8, 2015 to be taken to the Veteran’s Administration in Oklahoma City, but he was found unresponsive in his cell the night before his scheduled release upon time served.
“His probable cause of death was listed as pulmonary embolism, with diabetes and hypertension as significant contributing factors,” according to court filings.
While Carter County Sheriff Chris Bryant was listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, ex-sheriff Milton Anthony was over the agency at the time. The District Attorney’s office says the inadequacies that led to the death of Manos do not reflect on the current sheriff or administration. “In fact, the current sheriff has implemented several remedial measures designed to ensure that in the future, the medical needs of inmates will be adequately addressed,” said the statement from the District Attorney’s office.
Bryant replaced Anthony in 2016 after the former sheriff pleaded guilty to bribery charges and resigned.
Attempts to reach the plaintiff’s attorney, Daniel Smolen, have been unsuccessful.
In other business, the commission:
- approved a private cemetery on Enterprise Road for James and Clinta O’Dell;
- approved public notice for indebtedness to Carter County;
- approved the declaration of computer monitors from the County Clerk’s office as surplus, disposal of monitors to Treasurer’s office;
- approved advertising for bid on two county properties;
- approved road crossing permits for Recoil Oilfield Services and Chickasaw Telephone Company;
- approved two floodplain permits for Valero Partners Wynnewood, LLC.;
- approved disposal of air-operated grease gun
- approved shared leave request for Paul Johnson
- approved transfer of $30,000 from Board of Prisoners Capital Outlay to Board of Prisoners Maintenance & Operations
- approved authorized signors for 2019 JAG award agreement between the City of Ardmore and Carter County;
- approved payroll for all county employees;
- approved requisitions and purchase orders for County Highway, General Government, and all cash accounts.