DUCHESNE — A former Duchesne County jail inmate who sought at least $500,000 in damages, claiming she was coerced into having sex with jail guards, has agreed to an out-of-court settlement.
According to court documents, Areva D. Nunley will receive $15,000 from the county's insurance company. In return, she has agreed to drop all charges against the county and the jail for "all claims, demands, benefits either past or future," relating to her incarceration in the jail from Dec. 2, 1997, to April 6, 1998. Nunley was in jail on drug-related charges.
In the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Nunley sued Sheriff Ralph Stansfield and Duchesne County Commissioners Larry Ross, John Swasey and Ted Kappen.
The payment is not to be construed as an admission of liability on the part of the county or jail, the court settlement stated.
"Our liability insurance company attorneys examined the case and determined that under the circumstances where they were able to settle it for $15,000 that would be the best way to pursue it because the costs of litigation are prohibitive even with a not-guilty verdict," said sheriff's Lt. Travis Mitchell.
In her suit, Nunley alleged jail workers exposed themselves to her, made lewd comments to her and requested that she perform sex acts on them. She also claimed that guards made her wear clothing the exposed her body and made her stand in compromising positions outside her locked cell while undressed.
Nunley said she was coerced into performing sex acts with threats and in exchange for cigarettes. She says jail officials isolated her so she was unable to file grievances about the incidents.
An internal investigation by the sheriff's department did determine there had been "inappropriate activities," and two jailers were terminated as a result. Mitchell said the information about the alleged sexual misconduct came to the sheriff's office through another source and not from Nunley.