A former Westmoreland County prison guard avoided a preliminary hearing Friday on charges of assaulting a 33-year-old inmate by waiving his case to trial in common pleas court.
Jeremy B. Lynn, 38, of Ligonier Township was scheduled for a hearing before Hempfield District Judge Mark Mansour in the assault of James Mapp of Roswell, N.M., as a handcuffed Mapp was being booked into the prison on April 30.
Lynn’s attorney, Michael Ferguson, said Lynn has agreed to the framework of a tentative plea agreement. However, final details still need worked out and have to be approved by approved by a judge.
Ferguson declined to release any specifics of the plea deal until finalized.
The assault of Mapp, allegedly at the hands of Lynn on April 30, was reported by Manor Police, who had just delivered the handcuffed prisoner to the jail following his arrest for breaking into a home, according to court records.
Borough officers told county detectives they watched as Mapp “was repeatedly struck about his face and head” by Lynn.
“Mr. Lynn has no prior record at all, he has lost his job obviously over this episode. It was a bad 30 seconds of a life otherwise well lived,” Ferguson said.
“He wants to put this behind him and get on with his life,” he added.
Lynn was fired after an investigation into the assault by county Det. Ray Dupilka.
Mapp recently filed the three-count civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh against Lynn, and five other unnamed guards listed in the 10-page complaint as “John Doe” seeking in excess of $225,000.
The lawsuit was filed by Mapp’s attorney, John F. Mizner of Erie.
