WHITE PLAINS – The family of a woman who died while being held at the Orange County jail last year is suing the county and its medical contractor at the jail for wrongful death.

The lawsuit on behalf of the estate of Niki Capaci was recently filed in federal court by her sister and administrator, Layla Capaci.

The primary defendants named are the county and Wellpath, a limited liability company based in Tennessee with whom the county contracted to run the medical operations at the jail, and personnel hired by both.

According to the lawsuit, Niki Capaci was arrested by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office on May 3, 2023 for violation of the terms of her probation. It does not say for what charge she was on probation. She informed jail personnel she would require withdrawal management because she had recently used drugs.

The lawsuit documents the treatment she received over the next three days and alleges staff members were indifferent to her medical needs.

Early on the morning of May 6, Capaci was found unresponsive in her cell, with no pulse or breath.

Medical staff at the jail began performing CPR, and an emergency medical services crew that had been summoned took over that function when they arrived. But the EMS crew eventually discontinued their efforts, due to what the lawsuit calls “prolonged down time and obvious signs of death.”

According to the lawsuit, an autopsy by the Orange County Medical Examiner’s office cited “acute drug intoxication” as the cause of death, and her manner of death was “accident (substance abuse).”

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But the lawsuit claims the medical examiner’s office failed to properly evaluate the cause of Capaci’s death because it failed to acknowledge the impact of one drug improperly administered to her, and because of improper withdrawal management by the defendants.

In addition to wrongful death, the causes of action cited by the lawsuit are medical malpractice; negligence; negligent hiring, training and supervision; deliberate indifference to serious medical need; and municipal liability.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, in amounts to be determined at trial, as well as pre- and post-judgment interest, and attorney’s fees.

Neither the county nor Wellpath immediately responded to a request for comment.

Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record and the Poughkeepsie Journal. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com.

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Niki Capaci’s family says Orange County jail negligent in her death