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Missoula County must pay $565,500 in damages to the family of a woman who died of a seizure in the county detention center in 2009.

A Missoula District Court jury ruled that county officials were mostly responsible for the death of Heather Holly Wasson, 31. Wasson died of an alcohol withdrawal seizure about 36 hours after she was jailed on a probation violation.

“They admitted they violated their own policies,” said Cliff Edwards, the attorney for Wasson’s estate. “Plus they said she didn’t tell us she was vomiting or sick, and that turned out not to be true. That was pretty devastating for the jury.”

Wasson was on probation for felony drug possession and forgery convictions when her probation officer told law enforcement officers he believed she had been drinking, in violation of her release conditions. Officers arrested her at home at 4:30 a.m. and took her to solitary confinement at the detention center.

Edwards said at the time, Wasson had been drinking, was uncooperative and threatened to kill herself. She answered a questionnaire about her substance use and potential for withdrawal problems.