Scherr Wins $2.5 Million Case for Widow of Mexican Doctor

The widow of a Mexican doctor who died six years ago while held at the El Paso County jail on traffic violations was awarded $2.5 million Tuesday by an El Paso jury. Jessie Dorado alleged in a lawsuit that her husband, Dr. Eduardo Miranda, was deprived of his constitutional right to “receive adequate medical care while confined as a pretrial detainee.”

Scherr said Miranda died while in the county’s custody because the jail staff neglected to provide him medicine to prevent seizures. “They ignored his pleas for help,” Scherr said.

Scherr said that when Miranda suffered a seizure while in jail, instead of receiving medical attention, he was restrained “because they thought he was being combative.”

The article concludes: After deliberating for four days, the jury awarded the widow and her daughter $2.5 million. “I am very grateful to the jury,” Dorado said after the trial. “This is a huge relief because I’ve been hoping for justice.” Scherr added that the monetary damages awarded to Dorado would have been significantly less if the county had agreed to a settlement. He said they originally asked the county to settle the case in exchange for $100,000.