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| Muslim inmate sues over beating |
| By Salt Lake Tribune |
| Published: 01/05/2004 |
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His trouble with a white supremacist began with the Sept. 11 terror attacks, prison inmate Jacques Dupree Miranda claims. The 29-year-old convicted thief, who is black and a practicing Muslim, claims that because of his religious beliefs, he was targeted by other inmates and by correctional officers who were angered by the terrorist actions and tried to incite violence against him. The harassment culminated in a Sept. 20, 2001, beating by a death-row inmate while officers stood by that left him with a permanent debilitating injury, Miranda says. And it all could have been avoided if Utah Department of Corrections officials had done their job and heeded his warning that other inmates wanted to kill him, Miranda claims. In a federal lawsuit filed against the department and individual officers, Miranda accuses the defendants of cruel and unusual punishment, negligence, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violation of his constitutional rights. The suit seeks at least $1 million in damages. Corrections spokesman Jack Ford said the department has not been served with the suit, but did say, "There was no encouragement by correctional officers for this type of activity." But Miranda claims that the officers relayed information to Troy Kell, a white supremacist sentenced to death for killing a black inmate with a homemade knife in 1994, that encouraged the prisoner to attack him. "Defendants' acts of omission were the result of malice, ill will, or spite towards Plaintiff, as shown by taking specific actions intended to cause Miranda serious injury or death with no cause or valid law enforcement purpose, other than Miranda's race, Miranda's religion, or the Defendants' amusement," the suit, filed Dec. 15 in U.S. District Court, says. Corrections officials acknowledged the assault on Miranda, but said he suffered only minor bruises. Miranda, however, claims he received serious injuries. The suit does not list Miranda's exact injuries. He is scheduled for a parole hearing in 2004. Kell, 35, who originally was sentenced to two life sentences for a Nevada murder, was slated to be executed June 28, but won a stay. He has claimed he killed inmate Lonnie Blackmon, whom he stabbed 67 times, because the other man had threatened his life. |
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