MACON, Ga. — A judge tossed out a lawsuit filed by a Macon inmate who was beaten unconscious, abandoned and not found until three days later. The judge said it's because the employees named in the suit were entitled to "qualified immunity," according to court documents.

The lawsuit says two inmates beat fellow Bibb County Jail inmate Joshua Ballard unconscious on Feb. 6, 2023, after their cell was left unlocked . The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Middle District of Georgia, which is the federal court located in Macon.

The inmates went to Ballard's cell — which was also unlocked — pulled him out from the top bunk and beat him under a staircase for roughly 32 minutes before Ballard lost consciousness, according to the lawsuit.

Then, the lawsuit says the inmates responsible poured wat

See Full Page