Binschus v. Department of Corrections

[As amended by order of the Supreme Court January 17, 2017.]

Owens, J.

¶1 In 1992, we held that the State could be held liable for crimes committed by parolees if those crimes resulted from the State’s negligence in supervising the parolees. Taggart v. State, 118 Wn.2d 195, 822 P.2d 243 (1992). Today, plaintiffs ask us to extend Taggart and hold that a county jail can be held liable for crimes committed by a former inmate. However, the crimes in this case occurred well after the inmate left that jail—long after the county had the duty (or ability) to supervise the former inmate. Plaintiffs…