Event Details

This document is an opinion from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirming the sentence of Frederick Hernandez, a former correctional officer. Hernandez pled guilty to making false statements by falsifying logs regarding inmate safety checks during a shift in which inmate Luis Bent committed suicide. The court upheld a sentencing enhancement, ruling that Hernandez's failure to perform mandatory checks while knowing the inmate was suicidal constituted a conscious or reckless risk of death. This case serves as a legal precedent regarding prison guard liability and falsification of records in the context of inmate suicide.