Judge Refuses To Disqualify Himself In Lawsuit Over Tulsa Inmate's Death

<p>A U.S. District judge denied a&nbsp;motion to disqualify himself Wednesday in a&nbsp;civil rights case filed against former sheriff Stanley Glanz and current Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado.</p>

Wednesday, February 15th 2017, 3:16 pm

By: News On 6


A U.S. District judge denied a motion to disqualify himself Wednesday in a civil rights case filed against former sheriff Stanley Glanz and current Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado.

Judge John Dowdell is presiding over a case that's about to go to trial over the death of an inmate named Elliott Williams back in 2011. 

7/1/2013 Related Story: Lawsuit Filed Against Tulsa Sheriff, Jail For Cruel And Unusual Punishment

Tulsa attorney Clark Brewster, who's representing Regalado and Glanz, filed a motion on February 8, 2017 for the judge to disqualify himself after Brewster said he had just learned the judge was a partner in a firm in 2008 when it represented the City of Tulsa in a lawsuit against Tulsa County over the jail's finances. 

The city dismissed the suit in 2009 after court-ordered mediation. 

12/2/2008 Related Story: City Of Tulsa To Sue The County Over Jail Fees

Dan Smolen, the attorney representing Williams' estate, told the judge Wednesday morning Brewster's motion was a delay tactic because Brewster didn't like Dowdell's rulings. 

On Wednesday afternoon Judge Dowdell denied the motion to disqualify himself as well as a motion to stay the trial. He set it to begin Wednesday, February 22, 2017.

Williams' estate filed the suit against Tulsa County, current sheriff Vic Regalado in his official capacity, as well as former sheriff Stanley Glanz in both his official and individual capacities.

The video shows the final 51 hours of Elliott Williams' life at the Tulsa County jail. The lawsuit blames Williams' death on failed mental health policies and a lack of staffing at the jail.

The lawsuit says Williams lay dying in a cell for five days, without receiving medical or psychiatric treatment.

Smolen argues the County has a history of poor management at the jail which has resulted in several inmate deaths, including one two weeks ago.

News On 6's partner, The Frontier, recently covered the issue. 

2/14/2017: Inmate’s Death Earlier This Month Is First For Tulsa Jail In 2017
 

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