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Is Tarrant County in Trouble?(The Cost of Prejudice Culture and Policies)

By Nisie

Tarrant County has paid at least $3.5 million in settlements over jail lawsuits since 2017, when Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office. Most of that has been paid in the last 12 months. Including the largest payout settlement in Tarrant County's history of $1.2 million to Chasity Congious, who gave birth to a child alone in her county jail cell in 2020, resulting in her daughter’s death. 

The costs don’t stop there, as Tarrant County will be footing the bill for the alleged murder of an inmate by two jail guards. Rafael Moreno and Joel Garcia are the two jailers indicted for the murder of an inmate. Tarrant County added them to Sheriff Weybourn’s ever-growing ticket; county commissioners approved up to $30,000 for each attorney representing the two jailers. At least 69 people have died in Sheriff Weybourne’s jail. If those numbers continue to climb, the economic impact of Weybourn’s perceived incompetence may grow. 

                Then there’s the cost of Tim O’Hare’s mid-decade redistricting. What many voters are calling a “power play” by Tim Ohare, the rare mid-decade redistricting has already cost Tarrant County taxpayers almost $300,000 in legal fees and operational costs. Again, the cost may continue to rise as the redistricting effort by O’Hare has already become extremely litigious. 

           If we add all the lawsuits, attorney fees, and court fees, Tarrant County is in the hole for Bill Weybourn and Tim Ohare’s incompetence and questionable policies, amounting to upwards of 4 million dollars. Tarrant County was headed in a positive economic direction, and a cut in property taxes significantly helps residents, but if Republicans continue to stress the budget, will taxpayers end up paying the price?

 

 

References

Yossifor, Y. (January 5, 2025). A New Year's resolution — to remember almost 70 people who died in the Tarrant County Jail system. KERA News. https://www.keranews.org/criminal-justice/2025-01-06/tarrant-county-jail-death-protest-mason-yancy-sheriff-bill-waybourn

(May 20, 2024). Tarrant County approves $1.2 million settlement for woman whose baby died after birth in jail. KERA News. https://www.keranews.org/government/2024-05-21/tarrant-county-approves-largest-lawsuit-settlement-to-chasity-congious-whose-baby-died-in-jail

(April 1, 2025). Tarrant County approves up to $30k in additional legal fees for jail death lawsuit. FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth. https://www.fox4news.com/news/tarrant-county-anthony-johnson-jail-death


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