A six-person jury recommended criminal charges against seven jail staffers Monday after the Milwaukee County district attorney's office outlined a case that suggested disobedient inmates are routinely deprived of water.
An inquest into the dehydration death of a Milwaukee inmate is raising troubling questions about how conservative firebrand Sheriff David Clarke manages the county jail at a time when his political profile is rising. It will be up to District Attorney John Chisholm to decide whether to charge them or not. Jurors recommended that two Milwaukee County Jail supervisors and five corrections officers be charged with abuse of a resident of a penal facility.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has rebuffed calls to fire Clarke over Thomas' death, saying that it is up to voters to remove him if they wish.
In the meantime, in related news, a captain with the county's corrections department abruptly resigned over the weekend.
Clarke's office did not immediately respond to our message Tuesday.
A spokesman said Clarke wouldn't comment for this story.
Thomsen says Gold's situation is part of the information he is collecting as part of a lawsuit he intends to file against the sheriff's office on behalf of one of Thomas' sons. When that lawsuit is filed, Thomsen says Sheriff David Clarke will be the lead defendant. Clarke is widely reported to be a potential appointee to the administration.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Milwaukee-based immigrant-advocacy group Voces de la Frontera both were quick to decry Clarke's rumored appointment to a federal leadership post, describing him as a divisive figure.
Country Singer Loretta Lynn Hospitalized After Stroke
It turns out that the issue was with her heart and upon arriving at the hospital it was confirmed that she had suffered a stroke. Lynn's 1977 autobiography was made into a popular movie that brought an Oscar for Sissy Spacek's portrayal of the singer.
Assistant District Attorney Kurt Bentley says it doesn't matter what Thomas was in jail for, he didn't deserve to die of dehydration.
In 2014, about 80 percent of local jails nationwide reported no deaths, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics report.
Benkley also said last week that the inmate repeatedly banged on his cell door and shouted in the days of solitary confinement before he was found dead.
He reportedly stuffed a mattress in a toilet in his first jail cell to flood it. Meadors is accused of ordering Ramsey-Guy to shut off water in his new cell.
Chisholm said he thought jurors were swayed by evidence that showed jail policies weren't followed and that Thomas had been left in poor conditions.
The evidence and testimony prosecutors presented showed several missteps from guards and their supervisors, including the failure to log that Thomas' water had been turned off. But on Monday jurors were told that jail officials had subsequently turned water off to other prisoners' cells as a form of punishment.
Horn, who now teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of NY, said Clarke should bear some of the responsibility for Thomas' death even if he wasn't directly involved. "At the end of the day, the head an organization is responsible for what happens in the organization", he said.
Share with Us - We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article, and smart, constructive criticism. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
Comments