Wrongful death lawsuit dismissed in death of defendant in Clifford Lambert murder case

New developments arose on Thursday in a case News Channel 3 has been following - connected to the murder of Palm Springs socialite Clifford Lambert 17 years ago.

A federal judge has dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Kaushal Niroula, one of the defendants in the Lambert murder case.

Niroula, whose family says was a transgender woman, was killed in a Riverside County jail in Murrieta in September 2022. The court found the family did not prove that jail officials acted unreasonably or with reckless disregard for Niroula's safety.

Niroula's cellmate, Rodney Sanchez, a convicted sex offender, pleaded guilty to the killing. The suit claimed deputies ignored warning signs and took too long to respond to an assault said to have lasted more than an hour.

Niroula was awaiting retrial in the Lambert case after the original conviction was overturned because of judicial misconduct.

The family's attorney says they're appealing to the Ninth Circuit court.