A former Jasper County prisoner will not be allowed to sue Sheriff Archie Dunn, but he is being permitted to refile a lawsuit in federal court against other Sheriff's Department employees.
Steven Coryell claims that he was mistreated by deputies during his 2004 stay in the jail while he was awaiting robbery charges.
"I was assaulted by a guard, his name is Schuster, who works at Jasper County Jail" Coryell said in his original complaint. "I asked if I could press charges. Lt. Hillenbrant refused me[.] I got very angry and was restrained. I was given a shot of Halodol which IÂ’m allergic to. I made them aware of this. The nurse who gave me the shot went on vacation and I was placed back in my cell and my throat swelled plus my joints locked up for three[and] one half days."
Coryell is asking for money. The initial lawsuit was filed pro se, meaning it was done without a lawyer, and Coryell was allowed to file as a pauper, meaning that the taxpayers foot the expense for the lawsuit.
The judge said Coryell needs to refile his case, naming the people who allegedly did him harm as the defendants and not Sheriff Dunn, who was the sole defendant in the initial petition. Because no case was stated against the sheriff, Judge Dean Whipple ruled, that petition was dismissed with prejudice, meaning that Coryell may not refile the suit against Dunn.
Coryell will be required to pay the filing fee for any further petition, Whipple ruled. Court records indicate Coryell iscurrentlyy in the state hospital in Fulton. Jasper County court records do not indicate that the robbery case has ever gone beyond the preliminary hearing stage.