A lawsuit filed by 124 present and former Texas county jail inmates claims that the prisoners who ate tacos in March 2004 picked up something not on the menu — food poisoning. The suit alleges that “inappropriate food handling” caused violent illness among prisoners who ate the tacos served to inmates March 23, 2004.

Galveston County Sheriff Gean Leonard said he could not comment on the lawsuit because he had not been served with a copy. The sheriff's office runs the jail, which houses felony suspects from throughout the county who do not make bail. About 700 prisoners were in custody the day the tacos were served.

The lawsuit, which seeks an unspecified amount of damages, also names ABL Management as a defendant. ABL is the contractor that provides food for inmate meals. The prisoners in the suit claim they suffered salmonella infection, fevers and liver damage. The lawsuit also seeks redress for prisoners' “future mental anguish and emotional trauma, including fear of cancer.”