The death of Reece Richeson, a 26-year-old man held at the Clackamas County Jail, is a devastating example of what happens when correctional systems fail their most basic legal duty — to protect the people in their custody.
According to The Oregonian/OregonLive, Richeson was brutally beaten in his jail cell on October 18 by a cellmate who had reportedly attacked another inmate just a week earlier. Despite other detainees pressing emergency call buttons to alert deputies, it’s unclear how long it took staff to respond. By the time help arrived, Richeson was unconscious. He died three days later at OHSU Hospital.
Even more troubling, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office delayed public disclosure of his death for more than a week. Sheriff Angela Brandenburg has so far declined to order an independent review, opting instead for an internal “standard review.”
These facts raise serious questions — not only about what happened inside the jail but about the policies, training, and leadership that allowed it to happen. These questions must be answered in order to expose the flaws in Clackamas County Jail’s system, failed leadership, and hold wrongdoers accountable. Filing a civil lawsuit can help answer many of these questions.
Richeson’s heirs and estate have multiple legal remedies available to pursue justice and accountability and get these questions answered to find out what happened to Richeson and why it happened.
1. Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit (42 U.S.C. § 1983)
Under federal law, jail officials have a constitutional obligation to protect inmates from known dangers. When they fail to act despite clear warning signs, that failure can constitute “deliberate indifference” under the Fourteenth Amendment.
A civil rights claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 allows victims’ families to hold counties and individual officers accountable for systemic failures — such as housing a violent inmate with a new detainee or ignoring prior assaults.
If deputies or administrators ignored known risks, failed to respond promptly, or concealed the incident, they could face liability for violating Richeson’s constitutional right to safety and due process.
2. Wrongful Death Under Oregon Law
Oregon law gives families the right to recover damages when a loved one dies due to another’s negligence or misconduct.
A wrongful death claim in Oregon may include damages for:
Funeral and burial expenses
Pain and suffering experienced before death
Loss of companionship and society
Lost future income and support
3. Negligence and County Liability
Clackamas County could be held liable for its employees’ actions or failures under the doctrine of respondeat superior (vicarious liability). The decision to house a violent inmate with another detainee, despite prior attacks, may constitute gross negligence or a failure in inmate classification protocols.
Inadequate supervision, delayed emergency response, and lack of transparency can all point to a systemic failure rather than a single mistake — exposing the county to broader liability in a jail death lawsuit in Oregon.
4. Preserving Evidence and Avoiding Spoliation
When government agencies control the evidence, time is critical. Attorneys for Richeson’s family should immediately demand preservation of:
Jail surveillance footage
Emergency call and dispatch records
Incident reports and shift logs
Communications among deputies and supervisors
If key evidence is deleted or “lost,” courts can impose spoliation sanctions, including allowing juries to infer that missing evidence would have been unfavorable to the county’s case.
5. Why an Independent Investigation Matters
Sheriff Brandenburg’s choice to rely on an internal “standard review” undermines public confidence. An independent investigation would help ensure objectivity, identify systemic failures, and restore credibility.
Independent reviews have been critical in past in-custody death investigations across Oregon, often exposing gaps in training, supervision, or staffing that contribute to preventable tragedies. Many times, litigation could have been avoided if politicians and leadership were more transparent about their failed system and held wrongdoers accountable.
6. Systemic Accountability Beyond One Case
Accountability cannot stop at the Sheriff’s Office. Clackamas County Commissioners and the District Attorney have a duty to ensure the jail operates transparently and safely. Silence from county leadership signals tolerance for the status quo — and increases public mistrust.
Every in-custody death deserves transparency, oversight, and justice, not internal reports that stay hidden from the public.
A Legal Path Toward Justice for the Richeson Family
The beating death of Reece Richeson should never have happened. His family deserves clear answers, accountability, and full legal remedies under state and federal law.
Through civil rights litigation and wrongful death claims, families can compel transparency, uncover evidence, and hold counties accountable for systemic negligence.
Justice won’t come from silence — it comes from persistence, investigation, and the courage to demand the truth.
About the Author
Jeremiah Ross is an Oregon personal injury and civil rights attorney representing individuals and families in wrongful death, jail injury, and police misconduct cases across Oregon. For a free consultation or to discuss a potential claim, contact Ross Law PDX or call (503) 224-1658.