County OKs Settlement of Wrongful Death Suit

The Los Angeles County Claims Board has approved a $60,000 settlement for the family of an Altadena man who hanged himself in his jail cell on Christmas Day, 1987, officials said.

The settlement disclosed on Monday ends a wrongful death suit brought against the county by Ilene Mosley, 52, mother of Dwight Mathews, 28, and Mathews’ son, now 11 years old.

Less than an hour after he was arrested following a family dispute, Mathews fashioned a noose from his sweater and hanged himself in his cell at the Altadena sheriff’s substation, deputies said. The arrest was made after Mosley reported that her son had punched her during a family gathering, investigators said. Relatives restrained Mathews until authorities arrived.

In her complaint, Mosley claimed that deputies violated Sheriff’s Department policy by leaving her son in a cell with clothes that he could use to hang himself, said attorney Joe Hopkins, who represented Mosley. The suit also claimed that deputies did not adequately monitor Mathews’ activities.

About a month before his suicide, Mathews had been released from state prison after serving two years for a felony conviction, and he was very upset that his mother had had him arrested, Hopkins said.

However, Hopkins said county officials argued that they should not be held liable for Mathews’ death because they had no way of knowing that he was suicidal.

Deputy County Counsel H. Anthony Nicklin said he believes that deputies handled Mathews properly throughout his time in custody. Nicklin said the matter was settled to avoid the risk of a bigger judgment should the suit be tried before a jury.