INMATE'S KIN SUES COUNTY IN DRUG DEATH

Lawsuit Claims Deputies Failed To Provide Timely Medical Care For A
Dying Woman In Custody

BARTOW -- The father of a 22-year-old Winter Haven woman who died of a
drug overdose almost two years ago is suing the Polk County Sheriff's
Office, claiming she did not get medical attention fast enough while
she was in jail.

The lawsuit, seeking more than $15,000 in damages, was filed Monday in
the 10th Judicial Circuit Court by Jessica Morehouse's father, Paul,
and on behalf of her 4-year-old son, Joshua Paul Spain.

The lawsuit accuses the Sheriff's Office of failing to adequately
train deputies to detect and monitor inmates suffering from "medical
distress," and of failing to provide timely medical assistance to Morehouse.

She had taken approximately 14 Xanax pills, and it was "obvious to
even a layperson that (Morehouse) was in a critical medical state,"
the lawsuit states.

"She was ignored by jail personnel and not given medical attention
until several hours after being brought to the jail," the lawsuit
states. "By then it was too late."

Donna Wood, a sheriff's spokeswoman, said she could not comment on the
pending lawsuit. "We are just not in a position to discuss it at this
time," she said.

During a traffic stop for speeding, Morehouse was arrested Aug. 2,
2004, about 3:15 a.m. for marijuana possession.

She died about 71/2 hours later after being taken from the jail to
Bartow Regional Medical Center, according to an autopsy report.

The report states that Morehouse had a pulse of 200 beats per minute
before she was taken to the hospital. A normal resting pulse for an
adult is about 60 to 100 beats per minute.

The report described Morehouse as being ". . . drenched in sweat, very
shaky, unstable, very disoriented, her pupils were dilated, very
paranoid, needing help to walk, and garbled talking."

The report listed her death as an accident from "multiple drug
intoxication" with several drugs -- cannabis, methamphetamine,
amphetamine and Xanax -- being present in her body.

Dusty Rose, 29, of Winter Haven was arrested Dec. 17, 2004, and
accused of supplying drugs to Morehouse.

Although originally charged with third-degree murder, Rose pleaded no
contest June 28, 2005, to a lesser crime of delivery of a controlled
substance, court records state. He was sentenced to three years'
probation and 50 hours of community service.