Otter Tail County Settles $200K Jail Abuse Case
OTTER TAIL COUNTY, Minn. (trfnews.i234.me) — Otter Tail County will pay $200,000 and implement a series of policy changes after a man was allegedly deprived of food and water while being held in the Otter Tail County Jail in 2024.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota (ACLU-MN) announced the settlement on Tuesday, October 28. The ACLU had filed a lawsuit in December 2024 on behalf of Ramsey Kettle, who claimed jail staff withheld food and water from him for more than 50 hours as punishment after he smeared feces on his cell door. The case was settled on October 16, 2025.
According to a Minnesota Department of Corrections report, the jail refused to provide Kettle food until he cleaned the mess. The department later sanctioned the jail and temporarily downgraded its license in March 2024. The full license was reinstated a month later after the county submitted a corrective plan.
As part of the settlement, the Otter Tail County Jail agreed to make several policy reforms, including:
- Ending the practice of carrying over disciplinary segregation time between jail stays.
- Requiring officers to document and report if another officer withholds food or water as punishment.
- Mandating meaningful welfare checks where officers confirm inmates’ visibility, signs of life, access to water, and safety conditions.
ACLU-MN Staff Attorney Catherine Ahlin-Halverson said the case underscores the need for accountability inside correctional facilities:
“Our constitutional rights matter most when those entrusted to protect them think no one is watching,” she said.
Attorney Andy Crowder of Norton Rose Fulbright, who served as pro bono co-counsel, added,
“This case is about accountability and the recognition that constitutional rights do not stop at a prison door.”
Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons did not respond to media inquiries regarding the settlement.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by the ACLU-MN to ensure humane treatment and constitutional rights for individuals in county jails across Minnesota.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
Ramsey Kettle