Timothy L. Issette is seeking up to $30,000 from Frederick County, Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, named as a defendant but not in his official capacity, and Wellpath LLC, alleging inadequate medical care during a 2025 stay at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center. The lawsuit disputes whether care during that stay contributed to problems with an implanted spinal cord stimulator; the records described in reporting do not establish what caused the device problems.
Joseph DeBell’s reporting for The Frederick News-Post describes the complaint, medical records and early court filings. The allegations have not been established in court, and the records do not determine whether the detention center caused the stimulator to malfunction.
A Stimulator, Then a Two-Month Stay
Issette received the stimulator in February 2025 for chronic back pain, and a May neurosurgery record documents improvement. He was held at the detention center from July 24 to Sept. 30, 2025. His wife, Brittany Issette, said she brought the device’s charger and remote control to the facility.
Issette alleges staff did not promptly give him access to the equipment needed to charge the stimulator and that he went several days without using it, worsening his pain and right-leg numbness. He also claims inadequate care contributed to the device’s failure and that staff did not sufficiently treat his back injuries.
Issette alleges that he fell and lost consciousness in the medical unit in late July but was not taken to a hospital. He also says he slipped while climbing down in August and hit his back against part of the bed, and that repeated requests for specialist treatment did not lead to transport. A medical entry dated Aug. 27, 2025, noted difficulty arranging an outside pain-management appointment.
Lower-Bunk Orders, Unsettled Housing
Issette says staff did not follow medical orders assigning him a lower bunk and instead placed him in an upper bunk. Records contain lower-bunk and lower-tier orders dated July 29, Aug. 20 and Sept. 16, 2025, but do not identify which bunk he used. The Sept. 16 order was issued 14 days before his release.
Jenkins said the detention center follows medical accommodation orders and separates inmates when both require lower bunks. He said he had not personally reviewed Issette's alleged fall, and that complaints of that kind are ordinarily investigated. Brittany Issette said she emailed the sheriff about her husband's treatment and got no response.
Removed in 2025, Cause Unsettled
A surgical report dated March 17, 2026, records that the stimulator was removed after Issette said it no longer provided effective pain relief. The report mentions falls and problems with the device’s electrical contacts but does not identify the cause of those problems.
The removal and reported loss of pain relief are documented. Whether events during Issette’s detention contributed to the device problem remains disputed in the lawsuit.
A Motion to Dismiss, Then the State
Frederick County and Jenkins moved to dismiss the suit on Nov. 3, arguing that Issette had not sufficiently established grounds for their liability. Issette opposed the motion, and a judge ordered a hearing. The reporting does not give a hearing date.
On Monday, Nov. 9, Issette filed a third amended complaint naming the State of Maryland as an additional defendant. A summons for the state was issued that day.
Wellpath declined to address the allegations. Frederick County Attorney Bryon Black declined to address specific questions, and the county said it generally does not comment on pending litigation. Christian R. Nole said patient-care concerns are reviewed seriously and thoroughly through clinical and operational processes.
A separate state audit
A separate Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards meeting considered a final report on the Frederick County Detention Center and Annex, according to the Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards.
A Separate Medical Buildout
Jail medical capacity has also been the subject of a separate construction report, which does not tie the project to Issette's case. Corrections1 described a 14,046-square-foot unit with 13 medical cells or wards, compared with eight in the existing medical unit, and said it was planned to begin receiving patients in mid-December.
The reported layout includes three exam rooms, four negative-pressure rooms, a dental suite, an X-ray room and a padded safe room. The project was expected to cost $15.3 million, with $13.2 million incurred, just over $7 million from the county and the rest from three state grants, according to The Frederick News-Post.
Jenkins said the unit was intended to reduce hospital transports and could save the county "thousands of dollars in medical expenses and overtime for correctional officers."
The case remains before the court: Issette seeks up to $30,000, Maryland has been summoned as a defendant, and a hearing has been ordered on the county and sheriff’s motion to dismiss.
