Inmates file tort claims against county

CLOVIS — Eight current or former inmates of the Curry County Adult Detention Center have recently filed tort claims against Curry County on allegations they contracted COVID-19 while housed in the facility.

The tort claims were acquired by The News via a public records request.

A tort claim is a notice sent to government entities within 90 days of an alleged date of injury or property damage, and gives the filing party a two-year window to file a lawsuit.

The claimants, listed alphabetically, are Jason Bernal, Leo Duran, Andrews Jurado, Jacob Martinez, Ruben Mireles, Dylan Nixon, Charlie Reed and Matthew Reyes. Only Duran is still being held at the facility.

In October, Portales attorney Eric Dixon filed a tort claim against the county on behalf of detainee Daniel Hall, and indicated the suit could be used as a class action suit on behalf of other inmates who had contracted COVID-19 at the facility.

No civil suits filed by or on behalf of any of the claimants appear in court records.

When contacted for comment, Curry County Manager Lance Pyle provided the following to The News: “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Curry County has, and continues to implement all safeguards and work with the New Mexico Department of Health and other state agencies to limit and combat the spread of the COVID-19 Virus. The Curry County Detention Center has implemented strict protocols to mitigate the spread of the virus and continues to test and quarantine all detainees prior to booking into the facility. The safety of county personnel and the detainees at the detention facility is a paramount concern. Curry County will not comment any further on the threatened litigation.”