Steven Harris family suing Clay County, other officials agrees to settlement
ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – After more than 11 years of detention in the Clay County Jail, the relatives of a murder suspect have agreed to a settlement.
Details have not been released.
37-year-old Steven Jessie Harris was arrested in 2005 on charges that he killed his father, and injured police officers. He was also charged with carjacking a woman at the West Point Sonic.
He was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2007 and later found incompetent to stand trial. However, Harris remained in jail until last year.
On Tuesday, his sister-in-law filed the federal civil rights lawsuit in Aberdeen, demanding at least $11 million for the years Harris spent in the Clay County jail.
The suit accused Clay County, two sheriffs, a former district attorney, and three state court judges of violating Harris’ rights.
Mississippi has continuing problems with mentally ill people who have been detained in local jails despite efforts to increase treatment resources.
Carlos Moore represents Harris.
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