Mistrial Declared In FCI Dublin Guard's Sexual Abuse Trial: Reports

DUBLIN, CA — A federal judge declared a mistrial in the case against former FCI Dublin correctional officer Darrell Wayne Smith after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict on any of the 15 charges he faced, according to reports.

Smith, known by inmates as “Dirty Dick,” is the last of eight former FCI Dublin employees to face trial for numerous sexual abuse claims. Smith was charged with multiple counts of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a ward, abusive sexual contact, and civil rights violations. 12 women, including alleged victims and witnesses, described a pattern of abuse spanning years, ranging from masturbating in front of inmates to withholding mail unless they engaged in sexual contact with him. One former inmate testified that Smith followed her to her cell, harassed her, and raped her.

“If you put their stories together, what you have is a horrifying portrait of coercion, manipulation and abuse,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Paulson told the jury, according to a Bay Area News Group report.

Still, the jury remained evenly split, according to reports, particularly due to the lack of physical evidence. Smith’s attorney Naomi Chung argued that Smith was an easy scapegoat for women eager to cash in on large settlements, some of which have come to more than $1 million.

The former inmate who testified that Smith had raped her told KTVU that she found the defense’s strategy “tacky and bully-ish.”

Smith is the last of eight former FCI Dublin employees, including the warden and the chaplain, who have been charged with sex crimes. Seven were convicted, and were sentenced to anywhere from five to seven years in prison. The prison was permanently closed in December 2024, and a class action lawsuit led to a $116 million government payout.

A new trial for Smith has been scheduled for Sept. 15.