ACLU files lawsuit over MN man held in solitary confinement before charges dropped
File photo -- Not the Otter County Jail
(FOX 9) - The ACLU of Minnesota has filed a lawsuit against the Otter County Jail after they say a man faced inhumane conditions as he was held in a case that was ultimately dismissed.
What are the accusations?
The ACLU says Ramsey Kettle was "locked up in solitary confinement for days without food, water, or appropriate medical and mental health care" at the county detention facility in Fergus Falls.
The situation unfolded in February 2024 and the ACLU claims the jail administrator was aware of Kettle's situation and "expressly approved of withholding food and water" from him over the course of 52 hours.
In the lawsuit, the ACLU says Kettle's mistreatment was reported by a jail whistleblower to the state Department of Corrections, which performed an investigation that confirmed the mistreatment. The lawsuit claims jail staff attempted to cover up the mistreatment as well.
Horrible conditions
The lawsuit states Kettle faced mistreatment the moment he stepped into the jail. When he arrived from prison, he was told he had "outstanding disciplinary time" from a previous detention in the jail two years earlier.
Kettle was ordered to serve 60 days in segregation.
"[The jail] compounded these egregious violations of Mr. Kettle’s constitutional rights by forcing him to remain in solitary confinement in an unsanitary cell covered with human feces, the stench of which was so overwhelming [the jail] moved those housed nearby so as to prevent them from becoming ill," the lawsuit claims.
Background
The lawsuit states Kettle suffers from "serious mental illnesses" and has been held at the Otter Tail Jail on multiple occasions in the past.
Kettle served time in state prison from March 2022 to February 2024 in a terroristic threats case. On the day of his release from prison, he learned he was being charged in Otter Tail County on witness tampering charges.
"The new charges were unfounded and intended solely to keep Mr. Kettle incarcerated," the new lawsuit claims. "On April 24, 2024, Minnesota State District Court Judge Johnathan Judd dismissed those charges against Mr. Kettle as lacking foundation and Mr. Kettle was released from detention."