County settles suit by former inmate
Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006
Washington County settled a lawsuit with a former inmate who said he was incarcerated too long before seeing a judge.
The county’s liability insurance through the Arkansas Association of Counties paid Johnny Lee Lamproe $ 500 to settle the suit, Jason Owens, an attorney for the association, said Thursday.
Lamproe’s suit in U. S. District Court in Fayetteville said he spent 12 days in the county jail in February 2005 before seeing a judge.
Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure require counties to get their inmates before a judge in a timely manner and “without unnecessary delay.”
The Association of Counties has told counties that should happen within 72 hours of arrest.
Washington County denied Lamproe’s claims, Owens said, but settled because it was less expensive than defending the suit.
Lamproe was arrested Feb. 19, 2005, for methamphetamine possession. He pleaded guilty in circuit court and was sentenced in October to two years in prison, court records show.
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