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Inmate’s suit against jailers thrown outBy Robyn L, DavisSun Journal Staff• 'iA Superior Court judge has dismissed a former Craven County jail inmate’s claim that jail guards allowed another man seeking retribution to beat him up.Ronald Moore, 26, formerly of Havelock, was convicted in March 1994 of shooting Michael Sean Downing in Craven Terrace in October 1993. Moore sued former sheriff C.W. “Pete” Bland and former county manager Tyler Harris in June, but asked to drop the suit because the court would not appoint him anattorney.■ *Moore alleged in the suit that while in jail he was beaten up by Downing’s father and friends on Dec. 5,1993.Moore bore some responsibility for the assault himself, Bland said, and warned no one he might need extra protection.“You bear some responsibility for looking out for yourself — being able to cope and get along with the people in the cell,” Bland said.Moore was allowed to file the suit for free, and does not have an attorney.In recent motions, jailers have signed affidavits saying they heard nothing about a bounty Moorealleges Downing’s father put out, and say Moore didn’t tell anyone he thought he was in danger.Moore is serving his 10-year sentence in Caledonia Correctional Center in Tillery. Erick Vandiver, 27, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Moore were convicted of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and acquitted of other charges.Vandiver is being held in the Nash Correctional Institution in Nashville. In his affidavit filed in January, Vandiver said he and Moore were treated poorly in thejail.“I complained about my life being in danger and that I would like to behoused with my co-defendant Mr. Moore but was moved instead to D-Block amongst more friends of Mr. Downing and by myself,” Vandiver said.Moore was seeking $50,000 in damages and said he wanted to compel jailers to treat prisoners better.Bland said there’s no need.“I know for a certain fact that those in Craven County fare about as well as county prisoners fare,” Bland said. Nevertheless, Bland said he is relieved.“Most of those suits of that nature are pretty frivolous in nature,” Bland said. “You worry about them — you worry that it might go poorly.”
Newspaper Details
New Bern Sun Journal
New Bern, North Carolina, US
Thu, Mar 07, 1996
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Ronald M.
NJ, USA 15 Sep 2019
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