A Pima County judge has ruled Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels is not liable for the multiple acts of sexual abuse, including rape, perpetrated by the county jail’s former chaplain against several female inmates.
Judge Greg Sakall recently issued a final judgment in favor of Dannels in a $2 million lawsuit filed against Dannels in October 2019 for negligent supervision and negligent retention after longtime Chaplain Doug Packer was charged with forcing several young women to engage in sex acts inside his jail office between 2014 and 2019.
But after more than three years of litigation, the women failed to present any direct evidence showing Dannels and his staff knew of concerns about Packer’s conduct prior to the chaplain’s arrest in January 2019.
As a result, Sakall ruled earlier this year he was dismissing the claims against Dannels due to insufficient evidence. An effort by the women for a new trial was denied last month, after which Sakall issued a formal judgment dropping Dannels from the lawsuit.
“The recent court ruling vindicates the dedicated men and women of our detention division and this office who go above and beyond to protect and safeguard those incarcerated as supported by cultural expectations,” Dannels to Arizona Daily Independent on Thursday.
Packer is now the only remaining defendant in the lawsuit.
Arizona law treats any sexual contact between jail personnel and inmates as nonconsensual, in accordance with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003.
Dannels previously expressed praise of the two inmates who came forward in January 2019 to report Packer’s actions, which led to physical and DNA evidence being obtained that supported the women’s allegations. Investigators went on to interview more than three dozen then-current or former inmates over several weeks.
In the end, Packer was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to crimes against six women while they were in the jail, including kidnap by restraint and rape. He must also serve lifetime probation upon his release and register as a sex offender.
“The individual directly responsible for these horrific crimes has been held accountable by our criminal justice system and is currently serving his punishment in our state’s prison system,” said Dannels, noting that public officials like the jail chaplain are held to the highest standards as community role models.
The sheriff is adamant that those within his office who violate the public’s trust will not be able to hide behind their position.
“No one is above the rule of law and my commitment remains steadfast that those who fracture this trust, will be held accountable at all levels,” Dannels added.
Dannels was represented in the legal action by attorney Jim Jellison.
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