Inmate assaulted in jail sues Hertz and man accused of murder

An Illinois prison inmate is suing Madison County Sheriff Robert Hertz and a fellow inmate after he was allegedly assaulted while housed in the Madison County jail.

Anthony Renth filed the lawsuit against Hertz and Michael Elliott Dec. 20 in Madison County Circuit Court.

According to the complaint, Renth was in the Madison County jail waiting to be transferred to the Illinois Department of Corrections prison system in December 2009. Elliott was also in the jail, awaiting trial on first degree murder charges.

Michael Elliott was charged in the death of Dorothy Dixon, a developmentally disabled woman who was six months pregnant when she was tortured to death.

Renth alleges Hertz and his deputies should have known Elliott had violent tendencies and avoided putting them together in a small, confined cell. Renth claims Elliott, without provocation, hit him several times in the head, face and back.

Renth says he was unable to get away from Elliott during the attack and that deputies were slow to respond to his yells for help. He says he now suffers from headaches, blurred vision and has difficulty breathing as a result of the alleged attack.

Renth is asking for more than $100,000 in damages for his injuries and future medical expenses. He is represented by attorney Steve Griffin of East Alton.

Madison County Circuit Court case no. 10-L-1268