Otter Tail County Settles for $200K, Reforms Jail Policies
Otter Tail County has agreed to a $200,000 settlement and policy reforms after a federal lawsuit alleged a jailed resident was deprived of food, water and medical care for more than 50 hours while held in solitary confinement. The settlement, finalized in federal mediation and publicly announced in late October 2025, aims to address operational failures at the county jail and could reshape local oversight and detention practices.
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Otter Tail County will pay $200,000 and implement a package of policy changes following allegations that a man detained at the county jail was deprived of basic necessities and care for more than two days. The settlement, reached in federal court mediation on October 16, 2025 and publicly announced October 28, 2025, resolves a civil rights suit filed by the ACLU of Minnesota on December 6, 2024.
The plaintiff, 33-year-old Ramsey Kettle, a member of White Earth Nation and a lifelong county resident with documented mental health needs, was booked into the Otter Tail County Jail in Fergus Falls on February 9, 2024. According to allegations in the lawsuit and corroborating reporting, Kettle was placed in solitary confinement, denied food and water for over 50 hours, and was refused medical and mental health care while in isolation. The complaint also alleged staff mockery during his confinement. Charges lodged against Kettle were later dropped.
The county’s detention operations had already drawn scrutiny earlier in 2024. In March 2024 the Minnesota Department of Corrections investigated a whistleblower report, issued sanctions, and placed the jail’s license on conditional status. Those regulatory actions, combined with the federal lawsuit and local media coverage, set the stage for negotiations that produced the October settlement.
Under the agreement, Otter Tail County will pay $200,000 to Kettle and adopt reforms designed to prevent similar mistreatment. Reforms identified in court documents and advocacy releases include mandatory reporting when necessities like food, water or medication are withheld and strengthened welfare checks for people held in isolation. The settlement also names the ACLU of Minnesota as lead counsel, with pro bono co-counsel from Norton Rose Fulbright; attorneys such as Catherine Ahlin-Halverson were involved in the litigation on behalf of the plaintiff.
The case carries direct implications for Otter Tail County residents. Local officials face pressure to improve jail oversight to restore public confidence and limit future financial liabilities borne by taxpayers. The county sheriff’s office, led by Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons, has acknowledged the incident and expressed regret in the aftermath; the settlement and mandated reforms create new expectations for operations, training and transparency at the detention center.
Moving forward, accountability will hinge on implementation. Independent verification of the settlement’s impact will depend on documentation such as revised policy manuals, training records, and follow-up inspections by the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Community groups, local media and county boards can monitor sheriff’s office reports and DOC compliance reviews to confirm whether procedural changes are sustained.
For many in this largely rural county, the case raises broader questions about how law enforcement and corrections interact with residents who have mental health needs. Officials and advocates alike say the settlement offers a pathway to improved practices, but community trust will be measured by whether new rules translate into reliable, humane treatment and fewer costly legal conflicts in the future.
