Sandra Bland's family files federal lawsuit

The whopping 18-count, 46-page lawsuit  casts a wide net. It seeks unspecified damages, but the Bland family’s attorney sums up its true purpose like this.
"It seeks answers. It seeks justice. We are looking to hold the people accountable for her being stopped and mistreated and who we ultimately hold responsible for her death." said  Cannon Lambert, Sr. at a news conference to announce the lawsuit. 

And whom do they hold responsible for her death? They don't know... but her mother is pretty sure it's not Sandra herself.

"I'm still confident in the fact that she knew enough about Jesus that she would not take herself out." said Sandra's mother, Geneva Reed-Veal.

FOX 26 legal analyst Chris Tritico says he thinks they do have a case and it will help them get those answers..
"That’s what a discovery period is for. In any case you will have a period where you take depositions and you get discovery in written form from defendants and plaintiffs. So they have enough to move forward." 

He says it's apparent to him that Trooper Encinia violated her civil rights during the stop. He says even though the suit names him, the Waller County Sheriff and several jail employees, at the end of the day these will end up being suits against the county and the state. 

Many people have wondered why Bland's family didn't come up with the $500 to bail her out. When a reporter put that question to them during the news conference announcing the lawsuit, the reaction was swift. 

"I don't have an answer for you because that was the last question!" snapped Reed-Veal.

"It's a good question. It's a good question." said sister Sharron Cooper.

"It's insulting!" said Read-Veal and she stormed out.

"It's a good question and the response is it was a communication issue with the jail and one of the things we have a primary concern about. Yes, she called us Saturday, informed us of the situation, the bail, we said we'd take care of it expeditiously. I will tell you this based on the way this family communicates. We never heard from Sandy after that." said Cooper.

However, investigators and prosecutors tell FOX 26 she made 21 phone calls from both the jail phone and a cell phone. Her family was overheard telling her that they would not be able to bail her out that weekend. They "maybe" would do it sometime the following week.