Journal Services Staff Writer
MONROE, La. — A federal jury has awarded $42.75 million to the family of Erie Moore Sr., ruling that LaSalle Management Company, its privately operated Richwood Correctional Center, and three of its employees were liable for Moore’s death following an incident inside the Monroe-area jail nearly a decade ago.
The verdict, returned Oct. 21 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, found that LaSalle and its staff used excessive force and failed to ensure Moore’s safety while he was in custody. The award includes $19.5 million in compensatory damages and $23.25 million in punitive damages.
A Long Legal Journey
Moore’s family filed suit in 2016, alleging that the correctional staff’s actions and the facility’s policies violated his constitutional rights. The case endured nearly ten years of motions, appeals, and procedural delays before reaching a two-week jury trial.
Court documents show that Moore was arrested by Monroe police on Oct. 12, 2015, for disturbing the peace — a misdemeanor charge — and booked into Richwood Correctional Center that morning. Surveillance video presented at trial reportedly showed Moore placed in an isolation cell and later joined by another detainee, Vernon White, who had been involved in a separate fight elsewhere in the jail.
According to evidence and witness accounts introduced by the plaintiffs, correctional officers used chemical spray multiple times and employed impact weapons during their response to a confrontation between Moore and White. The video evidence allegedly showed Moore being sprayed, struck, and thrown head-first to the floor.
The Ouachita Parish coroner ruled Moore’s death a homicide caused by blunt-force trauma. He died from a hematoma on Nov. 14, 2015, about a month after the incident.
Conflicting Accounts
During closing arguments, attorneys for Moore’s family argued that LaSalle and Richwood staff acted with disregard for inmate safety and that supervisors failed to enforce use-of-force policies or monitor correctional practices. They asserted that a lack of oversight and accountability contributed directly to Moore’s fatal injuries.
Defense attorneys countered that Moore was combative and non-compliant with officers and that the cause and timing of his injury were unclear. They claimed the trauma could have occurred during his altercation with the other inmate. Attorneys for LaSalle also argued that the company, as a private operator, should not automatically be held liable under federal civil-rights standards typically applied to public agencies.
Jury’s Findings
After deliberating, jurors held LaSalle, Richwood, and three employees civilly responsible for Moore’s death. Plaintiffs’ attorney Cameron Nelson said the verdict “vindicated” Moore’s life and underscored the need for reform within Louisiana’s for-profit prison system.
Trial lawyer Max Schoening called the outcome “a light shined on ten years of darkness,” crediting Moore’s children for pursuing justice over the long course of litigation.
A member of Moore’s family said after the verdict that they hoped the decision would send a message to correctional officials statewide: “Everybody’s human. You shouldn’t use authority on people who can’t defend themselves.”
Broader Context
LaSalle Management, headquartered in Ruston, operates several correctional facilities across Louisiana and other southern states. The company has faced prior lawsuits and congressional scrutiny regarding inmate care and use-of-force policies. As of publication, no public statement from LaSalle or Richwood addressing the verdict has been located.