Marin County will pay $1.25 million to settle lawsuits stemming from two separate deaths at the Marin County Jail.

The county announced Monday, Sept. 28, that it reached a $500,000 settlement over the October 2023 death of Dylan Baylacq, who died by suicide while in custody. A separate $750,000 settlement resolves claims from the May 2024 death of Derrek Leeds, who died from an internal medical condition.

The county said the settlements are not admissions of wrongdoing or liability. It said it disputes the allegations in both lawsuits and stands by its employees. The settlements, the county said, reflect a determination that resolving the cases was appropriate to avoid the costs, risks and uncertainty of continued litigation.

The Marin County Sheriff's Office operates the jail, which serves communities across the county, including Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Larkspur and Tiburon.

"Every death involving a person in our custody is a serious and difficult event for the individual's family, our staff, and the community," County Executive Derek Johnson said in the county's statement.

Leeds, 43, of San Rafael, was found unresponsive in his cell during a routine check at about 2:09 a.m. on May 30, 2024, KTVU reported at the time. Deputies performed life-saving measures before the San Rafael Fire Department arrived. Leeds was pronounced dead at 2:42 a.m.

The Sheriff's Office requested that the San Rafael Police Department conduct an independent investigation into Leeds's death, according to Pacific Sun reporting from May 2024. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office handled the autopsy.

Leeds's death was the fourth in-custody death at the jail since August 2023, Pacific Sun reported. KTVU reported it was the second such death in 2024 alone.

The county's announcement is the only public account of Baylacq's death available as of publication. The statement did not name the plaintiffs, the attorneys involved, the courts where the cases were filed, or the specific allegations in either lawsuit.

The settlements come as the county has moved to strengthen oversight of the Sheriff's Office. Marin County approved a nine-member Civilian Oversight Commission in the summer of 2025. In May 2026, the county announced it had hired John Alden as its first Inspector General, a role created under Ordinance 3824 to provide independent oversight of the Sheriff's Office.

The county's statement did not indicate whether the Board of Supervisors voted to approve the settlements or whether a public oversight review is planned in connection with the two deaths.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.