Paloma Serna, holds up a sign of her daughter, Elisa Serna, who died in jail in 2019, during a vigil and rally outside the El Cajon Courthouse on Monday, March 27, 2023. A court hearing for a jail nurse and jail doctor who have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Elisa Serna has been postponed to June 26.
The plaintiffs and their lawyers said the deal was reached Friday night after a negotiating session that stretched more than 12 hours. They plan to announce the settlement formally at a news conference Tuesday morning. “There have been many changes and an incredible shift in priorities, approach, and processes in our jails since 2019,” Martinez wrote. “As Sheriff I am committed to improving our jail system and ensuring the jails are safe for everyone who is incarcerated and for all our employees.”
It further requires Martinez to meet personally with Elisa’s parents, Michael and Paloma Serna, who have become fierce advocates for reform in the years since their daughter died. After several delays, the civil case had been scheduled for trial next month. The agreement reached Friday specifies that each side will be responsible for its own legal fees.
Her parents received a voicemail message from a Sheriff’s Department investigator who alerted them to a “medical emergency” but offered no details. When Paloma Serna called back for more information, she said a jail official was circumspect about what had happened to her oldest daughter.