A NEWLY booked male inmate steadfastly argued with jail administrators in Craighead County, Arkansas, the U.S., that he needed medical attention.

    He claimed to have perhaps the rarest disease in the world. In a scientific marvel, the man diagnosed himself with ovarian cancer and told guards he would need to see a doctor right away.

    The man clearly didn’t have ovaries, so the medical request was denied.

    Several months passed, and the bizarre incident was forgotten as much as a man claiming to have ovarian cancer could be. Until Craighead County sheriff Marty Boyd was served papers one day; the man was suing the jail for violating his 8th Amendment rights. The lawsuit was swiftly declared frivolous.

    The specifics of the incident were unusual, but Boyd and jail administrator Matt Hall have grown accustomed to an influx of lawsuits from former and current inmates. Almost all the lawsuits are quickly dismissed, but that doesn’t mean they don’t demand an excessive amount of time, resources, manpower and taxpayers’ money.

    “Not a week goes by that I don’t have to deal with our attorneys and lawsuits,” Boyd said, estimating he and several of his deputies spend about four hours each week addressing lawsuits.

    The Jonesboro Sun reports Boyd has dealt with a steady stream of lawsuits since taking office in 2013, but he and Hall have noticed an increase over the last six months to a year. The uptick may be tied to the increased scrutiny placed on law enforcement in the last 12 months, Boyd said, and the sheriff also mentioned a trend of fewer people being willing to accept responsibility for their actions.

    (SD-Agencies)