WISCONSIN: Jury Awards $6.7M Rape Settlement To Female Former Inmate At Sheriff David Clarke’s Jail

The Washington Post reports:

A jury awarded $6.7 million to a former female inmate at the Milwaukee County jail who said she was raped at least five times by a correctional officer there. The woman, who was pregnant at the time, also said she was shackled to her bed while giving birth in violation of her constitutional rights. While the jury said the restraints had “no legitimate non-punitive” purpose, as Fox 6 in Milwaukee reported, it concluded that she had suffered no particular harm from being shackled and awarded no damages for that.

The damages will be paid by Milwaukee County because the corrections officer, Xavier Thicklen, was an employee when the sexual assaults occurred, reported the Associated Press. The county will likely appeal the jury’s verdict. The verdict comes amid a tumultuous time for the Milwaukee County jail, which is overseen by controversial Sheriff David Clarke, an outspoken supporter of President Trump who has said he will be leaving his post for a job with the Department of Homeland Security.