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Subscribe to RSSA man in New Mexico has been awarded $22 million after being tossed in solitary confinement for 2 years following a DWI arrest. KOB-TV's Marissa Torres reports.
A man arrested for driving while intoxicated and then forced into solitary confinement for two years tried to get help by writing to the jail's nurse, but the only response he got was a dose of sedatives, his lawyer said.
Stephen Slevin, 57, was arrested in August 2005 in New Mexico’s Dona Ana County, charged with aggravated driving while under the influence and possession of a stolen vehicle, although Slevin maintains the car was lent to him by a friend. On Tuesday, a federal jury in Sante Fe awarded him $22 million in damages for enduring inhumane conditions in the Dona Ana County jail, which he emerged from "hollow," Matt Coyte, his lawyer, told msnbc.com on Wednesday.
Slevin had one medical examination after being arrested and was labeled suicidal, his lawyer said. He was jailed in lieu of posting a $40,000 bond.
“They put him in a padded cell for three days, but they never give him any treatment; their policy is to then just put them in solitary” if there are mental health issues, Coyte told msnbc.com Wednesday.
Coyte described Slevin in court documents as suffering with lifelong mental illness. He told msnbc.com that at the time of his arrest, Slevin had been depressed, and was borrowing a friend’s car because he wanted to get out of Las Cruces, N.M., where he had been living at the time.
He was physically healthy, but desperate to get treatment for his depression that he had been suffering with prior to being in solitary confinement - a cell with no natural light that prisoners are in 23 hours a day, although often times, guards failed to even grant Slevin his one hour of daily recreation time, his lawyer told msnbc.com.
Slevin sent more than a dozen letters to the jail nurse starting days after he was arrested, NBC affiliate KOB.com reported.
“I have not slept in days,” says one letter from Sept. 4, 2005, a couple weeks into solitary confinement. “I’m in a deep depression.” The letter also mentions his lack of appetite.
His mental decline
Two months later, KOB.com reported, Slevin wrote a letter again pleading for help, saying, “My dreams have been both weird and bizarre.”
By the end of November 2005, he wrote, “I’m afraid to close my eyes.”
Coyte, his lawyer, told KOB that if Slevin got any response at all, it was just to up his sedatives.
“He referred to a ‘Dr. Don’ [in the letters],” Coyte told KOB.com. “There was no doctor looking after him. There was a nurse, the nurse practitioner.”
But the so-called nurse practitioner only had a bachelor’s degree in psychology and no actual medical qualifications, KOB reported.
After a few months, Slevin gave up, writing: “I don’t know how much longer I can go on.”
“That was when he fell into a delirium,” Coyte told KOB.com.
Meanwhile, correspondence with the outside world tapered off as well, Coyte told msnbc.com on Thursday.
“His sister was writing him letters and sending him money,” Coyte said. “She thought he would get out soon enough; she would send him small amounts of money every few weeks.”
But when she didn’t hear back from Slevin, she became concerned. She called the jail, Coyte said, but was not given much information.
“She had no idea the condition he was in,” he said. “She is on the other side of the country with limited means. She wrote letters and he responded at the beginning, but then he lost touch with her. If your family member doesn’t write back, you may feel like they don’t want to talk you anymore; it wouldn’t cross your mind that something like this was happening.”
It wouldn’t be until months later that Slevin’s sister, whose name and location Coyte did not give, found out what her brother was going through: Forced to pull out his own tooth because he was denied access to a dentist, he told reporters on Tuesday. Toenails curling around his foot because they were so long. Basically forgotten about in his dark cell for more than 22 months.
"[Jail guards were] walking by me every day, watching me deteriorate," Slevin told KOB.com. "Day after day after day, they did nothing, nothing at all, to get me any help."
Slevin’s sister and other family members actively fought for his release near the end of his detainment once they became aware of his plight, Coyte told msnbc.com Thursday.
“It was her and his aunt and various other family members who were calling legislators, calling county commissioners, saying, ‘Where’s my brother?’” he said.
'Deplorable' conditions
The answer, for most of his 22-month detainment, was that he was in “deplorable” conditions of his solitary “pod,” court documents state, except for a 14-day period in May 2007, when he was sent to New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas, N.M., for a psychiatric review. He had lost a third of his body weight by that point, documents say, and had bed sores and a fungal infection on his skin.
“As your insanity builds, some people holler or throw feces out their cell doors,” Coyte said Wednesday. “Others rock back and forth under a blanket for a year or more, which is what my client did.”
At the Behavioral Health Institute, Slevin was able to shower and to shave his beard, which had grown long and scraggly during his time in solitary, Coyte said. His mood improved. But after two weeks there, he was sent back to his solitary pod in jail for another month, at which point his mental state deteriorated to the point where he was deemed unfit to participate in his defense, and all charges against him were ultimately dismissed. He was released on June 25, 2007.
It's not clear why he was sent back to solitary after his stint in the mental health institute.
Dona Ana County officials were tight-lipped about the case, refusing to answer questions about whether any jail employees were reprimanded or fired over Slevin's treatment.
"We do not discuss personnel issues," Jess Williams, Dona Ana County's public information director, told msnbc.com on Wednesday.
Williams also wouldn't comment on whether the $22 million the county was ordered to pay would come from taxpayer money, saying only, "Dona Ana County will appeal the verdict."
Coyte sued the Dona Ana County Board of County Commissioners, the County Detention Center, and the jail director and former medical director in December 2008. According to court documents, the county jail’s former medical director, Daniel Zemek prescribed “complicated psychotropic medications” to Slevin without ever seeing him, and renewed prescriptions for him for at least 10 months without an in-person visit. Zemek left the county jail but an adequate replacement for him wasn’t provided, the court documents allege, so jail director Chris Barela continued to have Zemek prescribe medication to Slevin, despite not treating him.
John W. Caldwell, the defendants’ attorney, did not return a phone call from msnbc.com on Thursday.
Coyte, Slevin’s attorney, said greed on the county’s part was partially to blame.
“Talk to the [Dona Ana] County Commissioners who were around in 2000 to 2004 who knew this stuff was going on, and didn’t care,” he said. “Another side to this case is this jail was built to make money housing federal detainees. This is a border town. There are a lot of federal detainees from immigration issues, and the jail charges the federal government a particular amount of money for each detainee.”
Slevin was a county inmate.
“Federal inmates got better care than state inmates,” he said. “There would be better psychiatric care for the federal inmates than for the state or county inmates.”
Slevin will take lifelong medication for his PTSD, although he continues to have support from his sister, Coyte said. Court records show he now lives in Virginia Beach, Va.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
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slartibartfast
What lawyer? He was put in jail without a trial.
He still could have demanded a lawyer!
I doubt it. They wouldn't even let him outside. How can you demand anything when your captors willingly ignore you and deny you basic human rights and services?
Imagine you are being held on a charge and are in jail. You demand a phone call. They say no. This goes on for 22 months. How do you get to the phone?
This story is 4 or 5 years after his release, he lives in Viginia and still isn't getting the ordered compensation??? Hmmm, due to technical difficulties he won't get anything ever but the lawyer probably will.
this is getting dumber by the day. Love this quote: "His sister was writing him letters and sending him money,” Coyte said. “She thought he would get out soon enough; she would send him small amounts of money every few weeks.”
So his sister knew he was there and did nothing but write back. No calls to lawyers, investigative reporters, ACLU, etc...Please.
At least no one was run over by a drunk while he was away. I would give him a lifetime supply of dental floss, xanax, and Miller Lite and be done with it.
There is much more to this story than they are saying. I can see a great movie and book deal coming along soon as well. They gamed the system and won.
They would be wise to shut up until he gets the money, as they might recind his payday soon.
obviously you missed the section that said she has limited means, lives across the country, and when contact tapered off, thought that it was by his wishes.
Considering he was never tried or convicted, your attitude is pretty callous. Also considering it has taken him 4 years to get an award, and he won't even collect until appeals are settled, it hardly sounds like in his condition that he "won" anything. By your standards, perhaps you should be given a lot - a whole lot - of Preparation H.
Limited means you say. Hmmm, "hello, ACLU, my brother was arrested for a DWI and they won't let him out of jail"; "hello local news channel". There is more to this than you know. It sounds as if the family thought this might be the best place for him; until they realized they could cash in.
Wow brewzky, you are lucky to have the whole world figured out. I hope if something like this ever happens to me, it turns out we are related, so you can get the ACLU and Fox News on the horn.
I got your back. This can't happen to people unless extraordinary circumstances prevail. Don't you think a friend, neighbor, relative, whatever might start making inquiries. If not, maybe it's not a bad place to be. At least he had three meals a day, doctor visits, wasn't living in a cardboard box under a freeway holding a sign asking for money.
Let's remember the charges were dropped. He was held for two years and never convicted!
My question is, while I feel horrible for this man, where were his friends and family? His friend who loaned him the car, the police had to have called him to let him know they had 'recovered' the 'stolen' vehicle. The friend would then be aware the his friend was being held without notice and after a month or so wouldn't you have looked for your friend or your brother? How could everyone you know just not given a single blink of worry to your where abouts for that length of time? People can be declared dead in that time. There is more to this story that is not being told!!! But like most the stories that appear here we are only seeing a partial piece. That is the saddest part.
That's exactly why this is b.s. I'm sure Tom Hanks is already reading the script for the movie.
Exactly what I was thinking. The family didn't appear until it came time for a possible lawsuit.
It's actually really easy to fall through the cracks in the penal system if you have don't have a super strong/rich support system. Having been an intern/been in a jail setting, once you are there you are pretty much at the mercy of the law enforcement officials running the jail. Yes, we have rights that are supposed to protect us from these kind of abuses, but once you're on the other side of the bars those rights mean diddly if the people running the penal institutions decide not to let you exercise them. You are literally at their mercy. Yes, you have a right to a phone call, but if you're locked up in a jail cell with no phone, how do you think you're going to make that call if they refuse to let you out? Plus, it said his sister lived on the other side of the country and wasn't well off, which could mean maybe she was too old/too sick/disabled or unable to help him in any other way. If you go to the police station and they don't tell you much there's not a whole lot you can do, other than what it said his friends/family were doing by writing to legislators, complaining etc.
While I definitely agree that what happened to Mr. Slevin was indeed criminal and that he deserves some form of compensation; unfortunately, if and when this amount of money is released to him (minus attorney fees, etc...), it will probably contribute to his early demise within a few years. Can you imagine handing over $22 million to a mentally ill, chemically addicted homeless person? That's going to be some party...
I know why your screen name is what it is. No one said this man is mentally ill, nor chemically addicted. He was drunk, and he said he had been depressed. Hum I wonder why? It does not say in this article, but it very well could have been the onslot of this economic downturn. Millions of people became drepressed, millions no doubt got drunk at some point, does not make them mentally ill or chemically dependant. He was not homeless when they arrested him.
He just needed a change, haven't you ever needed a change?
The county should not appeal the verdict as they state they paln on doing in the article. They should pay and pay with their heads hung low in disgrace. There use to be a time in this country that police and law enforcement were respected. They are now looked at as Gestapo like storm troopers. Cops pepper spraying peaceful protestors, shooting them with rubber bullets, arrresting people for video taping them, and things like this. Everyday there is a story about the abuses of power that a badge brings.
It is apparent that the police is nothing more than a legalized gang. A gang that answers to noone that is well funded through tax payer dollars.
This man deserves every cent and an apology.
Just another case of abuse by people with authority. Goes on every day. I can only hope that what goes around, comes around, only double! The regional jail in my area is no different. They are the most uncooperative bunch of SOB's I have ever had to deal with. It's no wonder that people have such a bad opinion of the place. And no, I have never been placed under arrest or put in jail!
If any domestic terrorists are looking for targets this jail's staff would make some good ones....inexcusable what they did.....and you know they won't be prosecuted.
I guess, instead of "Dead Man Walking" they'll make "Drunk Man Driving".
With any luck, you'll be next. Then I'd like to hear your stupid jokes.
brewzky, I like dat!
Burn in hell.
Can't I just go to hell and not burn. Kind of take in the sights, mingle with the others that aren't worthy of passing through the pearly gates. And if you go to hell, how long do you burn. You would think 15 minutes or so; then what? You can't burn again, would you die all over again? Wow, this drunk driver has raised many new things to think about.
A clear violation of constitutionally guaranteed rights. Those responsible are lucky they have only been sued. They should, in all reality, face some serious prison time.
Yes New Mexico, appeal this and waste more of your citizens hard earned money. Guess it is good enough for government work, eh? Bunch of yazhold!
We take things for granted here in the US. Description of some of the horrors of solitary confinement is excellent....
Go to Israeli prisons.... Syrian prisons.... Egyptian prisons.... Moroccan... ALgerian... you name it.... all these torture camps are filled with solitary confinement... sleep deprivation (they turn music on so high you can't go to sleep, then the guards keep making noise til you go crazy...etc.)
There is a female Egyptian political prisoner who was hung from her feet.... deprived from urinating in a bathroom... that she used to urinate on herself... with the urine slipping down her face... the F-ing prison guards laughing....
They'd dump her in hot water... lift her and immediately dump her in cold water...
In Israel, Palestinian civilians defending their homeland were forced to take off their clothes, put in a room enough to stand up only... for weeks... with a cold water tap dripping on each one's head, no-stop, along with noise and loud music for weeks....
In Syria, the guards pull out your NAILS using PLIERS!!! They stick stuff up the rectum... in and out... in and out.... laughing at the prisoners.... Syrian guards also place one on a turning table... as the table turns, they guards lash the prisoner randomly.... so, you get hit on your face.... on your stomach... on you knees... anywhere.... for hours.... and for weeks.... like our meals: 3-5 times a day....
All these torture methods are coming to the US from what I read here... WHY???
How can HUMAN BEINGS (decent or damn indecent) see a person suffering and ignore him/her???
Dear Palestinian-American,
What happened to this man is both terrible and not unheard of. But please don't give up on the US! At the very least, see the outrage that has resulted. Dreadful things happen in every prison system; the challenge is to keep after them, to keep on looking at what is going on. It isn't easy, the founders of this country understood that constant vigilance is essential - hence our "free" press, which maybe hasn't been noticing its responsibilites of late. Still, there it is, and this has been reported. New Mexico is very, very poor (in US terms) and Doña Ana County, in the bootheel of NM, is dominated by well-to-do Anglos, yet here we are, arguing about the situation without worry of consequences. Surely that is something worth paying attention to.
The only sickening thing here is that we now have to give this guy $22M. The jail system should be like this if not worse as maybe then it would help detract people from going there. My guess is that if when this guy was drugged up in this stolen car, if he would have hit and killed your kid you would feel very bad for him. We baby people in jail which is crap. Then they get out and if they had a hard time it turns out they sue and get millions. Jail should not be a country club. You should not have any rights while you are there and you should not expect to be treated a special way. These people steel from us and kill our friend and family and they we have to pay to put them in a hotel for a few years. If they truly live a prison life like this guy we then have to pay them more money then most of us will ever see as we are working to make a good living. That is the sickening thing!
We need to come down hard on any drunk drivers. Enough is enough. How many more people have to be killed by a drunk driver before we get serious about DUI?
The problem here though is we don't know that he was guilty because he never had a trial and was never CONVICTED. It's possible he was innocent, but we'll never know because there was never an investigation. So I suppose we should get rid of having fair trials and investigations now?
Yes, let's come down hard on drunk drivers, but let's do it legally, with a lawyer, a trial, and appropriate sentences depending on the severity of the crime. But that doesn't mean to throw someone in prison without a trial, or a lawyer, or even charging him with any crime, leave him in isolation for two years to rot, with no medical attention or even a doctor to see him when he is clearly ill. This is not supposed to happen here with our consitutional rights. This man was destroyed from the inside out, and there is no excuse for it. Period.
@Joyce, since when do we punish people for being accused of something? What happened to innocent until proven guilty? If some police officer said he suspected you stole a necklace, arrested you and put you in a cell, never produced the necklace (evidence), the county officials never gave you a trial but kept you for 22 months until your family of limited means hired an attorney to get you out, can I go on Newsvine with the attitude that you deserved what you got because the cop THOUGHT you took something illegally?
If he wasn't convicted, then he obviously wasn't being punished HarryBalsaki. A person cannot be punished for a crime until they have been convicted in a court of law. He was awaiting trial.
I love how you're basing your entire argument off of a slanted news article. For most of the article, his lawyer raves about the "injustice" his client has received. Where was the lawyer throughout this entire ordeal? Why didn't his family contact the ACLU and request assitance in the matter? Did the reporter even bother contacting the Dona Ana County Jail for their side of the story? This is an incredibly biased "article" that appears to have be written by a complete amateur.
But enough about that... I don't want to get in your way while you spread the "truth" about out criminal justice system.
Nate, we are all entitled to our opinions. Have you seen the inner workings of the justice system? Have you ever served on a jury? Have you ever spent time locked up?
So thats your justification? 22 months awaiting trial? You see nothing wrong with that? The man was apparently mentally unstable. Where was his family? No idea. But I can safely say that if the police want to keep you from making a phone call, all they have to do is say no. Its not like you can just walk out of your cell and use the phone at your discretion. Heck, they own you inside. And from the god-complexes I've seen lately with LEO's, its a wonder that more people aren't violated.
Example...I went to my storage unit one day and noticed it had been broken into. There was a police officer across the street. I hollered to him what had happened. He asked if I had called it in. I said no, you're right here. He said call it in to 911, you're in the county, I'm city. I said ARE YOU F'in INSANE??? So he came over and acted all put out. He was giving me a hard time and whining about wasting his time until the sheriff's deputy got there. I was keeping him from running a speed trap. Waa waa waa
1. Yes, I have seen the inner workings of the justice system.
2. Yes, I have served in a jury and given testimony in two military court martials.
3. No, because I am a law-abiding citizen.
I'm not making justifications; I'm stating facts. Your example makes me laugh...I guess I'm supposed believe your side of the story, even though I've never met you before.
Get off your high-horse and check your facts before you begin making accusations that Corrections is a corrupt profession.
nastnate
Are you a corrections officer?
I'm not a Corrections officer, but I am majoring in Corrections at college. I know fully well that there is corruption inside of jails and prisons. I find it sickening when people are treated inhumanely, but I also don't believe every inmate that claims they were abused or neglected. I would be interested to see the evidence presented during the trial because I can't give an honest opinion about the case until then (sorry, his lawyer's ramblings don't count). If everything the victim says is true, then he deserves the $22 million and someone at that jail needs to resign. However, you can't blame the entire Corrections system because of a few @!$%#s who abused their power.
Nastynate if you are majoring in corrections then you must have had at least two or three sociology courses. If those courses were worth a grain of salt then you must have read a chapter on the jailed and jailer experiment. One famous experiment was done by The Ohio State University and I am sure there were others that had the same theme to prove the premise learned from The Ohio State. When the roles were switched on the subjects each set became the oppressor of the other. This experiment demonstrated how a moral person can become corrupt with the notion of being empowered by having power over another man. With this said it is not hard to make a postulation that even the well intended can become corrupt or at the least indifferent to his fellow man. Sort of like the judge, jury and executioner. If you do not believe what I have stated go look it up Nastynate.
Yes, I have heard of the experiment you're referring to (although I don't believe it was Ohio State University). I think that case speaks volumes about human nature in general, not just Corrections. Anyone in a position of power can abuse that power for their own personal gain. Using that argument, are you saying that people shouldn't be placed in positions of power? That would be absurd. Of course there is a certain level of corruption in Corrections, just like there is in any other profession (doctors, lawyers, politicians, police officers, etc.) Transparency is just one method that is used to keep corruption in check. Legislation is constantly being passed to ensure incidents like this are few and far between. Is corruption ever going to go away? No, because we don't live in a perfect society. But we can work to diminish it as much as possible.
The experiment I mentioned was the Stanford Prison Experiment. I'm not sure if it's the same one you were talking about, Intellect.
The one I am familiar with is The Ohio State University and mentioned other universities carried out the same experiment. As for corruption in places such as prisons my point is that jailers must police each other. When left to their own device absolute power will corrupt such as what has been reported in this article. If one man or woman was aware of this man's mistreatment they are no better ethically than those who mistreat another human intentionally. This is the bottom line since no amount of legislation will ever be able to police the jailers or the corrections system, judicial system or law enforcement system.
Once again, there is no evidence of corruption in this case. It is a slanted article that fails to produce a single shread of proof. His lawyer provided almost all of the commentary, and we can be certain that he is totally biased. I already said that if the court evidence proves that there was corruption, then someone's head needs to roll. Corruption is a universal trait when it comes to humans, but that doesn't mean that everyone in power is corrupt. To believe otherwise is dogmatic.
nastynate, it could really have been a case of badly screwed-up/misplaced paperwork. they tossed the guy into solitary (this was apparently procedure for people deemed unstable at this jail), then lost/misplaced the paperwork. the guards simply ignored the isolation guy (standard for solitary, I would imagine) except to slip food through the slot. I am persoanally inclined towards the "really big screwup" hypothesis myself
the entire thing could have happened without actual intent, even so, heads should roll at the prison/jail for the severity of the mistake and the suffering imposed by said mistake
During the blame game, it's important to separate prosecutors (big fault) from law enforcement (no fault) from detention personnel (big fault - a potential $22 million problem for the county and its insurer). It appears that the State prosecutor & the Sheriff had some explainin' to do - and the jury didn't buy it. The historic award level, subject to appeal, may empower Mr. Slevin & counsel to seek additional remedies under federal and New Mexico statute. There are no winners here, and all of the incompetence & fact basis that we glean from the media (was the case file sealed?) will stick like tar to the reputations and resumes of all involved. It's ugly and inexcusable, but justice appears to be surfacing on this case.
The Count of Monte Cristo is alive and imprisoned in New Mexico. Holy Hannah! I'm beyond shocked! The fact that anything like this can happen here in this country is beyond belief. Even IF this man is guilty of stealing a car and driving drunk there is NO excuse for what has happened to him. Nothing will ever justify his torment. We don't treat rapists or murderers this way. Everyone in that prison is accountable and responsible and there needs to be an extensive investigation of all of the other prisoners in that institution to make sure that there are no others in this same situation. And there are truly - many, many bad cops on the street too. Dirty, corrupt, scum buckets who are worse than the people they arrest. Thankfully there are also some really good cops who are decent, kind, and honest.
This story just doesn't seem possible in this century. It sounds like an old "period" movie from the 1600s in Europe. I hope he recovers from this horrible nightmare, and gets every penny. I feel dirty and ashamed for all of us.
We are all better off with this guy locked up in jail and off the highways. Simple solution don't get drunk and then drive.
Are you just a troll or do you seriously think that accusing someone of an offense makes them guilty?
Wouldn't the simple solution here be to give the man Due Process?
This man should have been awarded a whole lot more money. The guards and prison administration should all have been brought down with charges. Maybe they should have been sentenced to a month in the hole so they can know what that hell feels like.
Why? This was all completely staged by he and his circle of family and friends. Let's see, writing often and receiving letters and money from his sister. Probably said, hang in there for at least a year or so and we'll make millions. Why didn't she call a lawyer, ACLU, TV station, etc... This is all complete b.s. and you are not hearing the whole story, which is why he has not been paid in the five years since the award.
This is crazy! I think they get treated more civily down in GITMO. If this jail is a federal hold over, Shouldnt the feds have to pay part of the tab? I guess I just dont understand the inhumanity that a person can subumit apon another.
If only Steve McQueen were alive ! I could see a '' Pappion 2 " in the future. Could you imagine what would have happened to the guy if this would have been his second offense for drunk driving ?
Moral of the story , DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE !!!!!!
Issac, there is NO evidence that he did. None. Zilch. No evidence. No trail. No conviction. Just a man accused of a crime and held.
Another story I just do not understand. Obviously not the 1st time this guy was in trouble. Who goes in solitary for DWI? Who gets 2 years? Who has a 40,000 bond for DWI? Again where are the mental institutions that used to take the mentally ill? Pay him 22 million for what? He would never had earned 22 million. Doesn't sound like he ever contributed to society? He certainly could had killed people with the DWI, stolen car. Yes they surely messed up if there wasn't a trial. I thought the trial was delayed if there were mental issues? 22 million? Who has control over that? This man couldn't handle 22 dollars a day. This all makes no sense at all.
I have to admit that I'm fairly surprised at the naivete on here from some people thinking that this could never really happen in the U.S. and that this must be some kind of scam on the man's part.
It's actually really easy to fall through the cracks in the penal system if you have don't have a super strong/rich support system. Having been an intern/been in a jail setting, once you are there you are pretty much at the mercy of the law enforcement officials running the jail. Yes, we have rights that are supposed to protect us from these kind of abuses, but once you're on the other side of the bars those rights mean diddly if the people running the penal institutions decide not to let you exercise them. You are literally at their mercy. Yes, you have a right to a phone call, but if you're locked up in a jail cell with no phone, how do you think you're going to make that call if they refuse to let you out? Plus, it said his sister lived on the other side of the country and wasn't well off, which could mean maybe she was too old/too sick/disabled or unable to help him in any other way. If you go to the police station and they don't tell you much there's not a whole lot you can do, other than what it said his friends/family were doing by writing to legislators, complaining etc.
Also, we don't know if he was really driving around drunk because there was never a trial or investigation. Yes drunk driving is bad, but before we rail against it, let's make sure that's even what happened. Less we start getting rid of the concept of trials and investigations all together.
There should be a whole slew of people in jail over this outragousness.
money alone does not satisfy this case....people need to be held accountable, and that means going to jail!
Jailers are all POS A**hole s they saw this poor man's plight and turned the other way.That folks is Evil!It exists in growing #'s in our "fell from grace" country.Imagine how many other "inmates" are suffering the same thing.In our Gov. for profit jail system.The Lobbyists for these for profit p[risons love the poor and infirm.Like a stray dog,they put in a kennel(Jail)in lieu of Bond.Sick stuff going on peeps.open you eyes and be aware.Trust nothing government.
I have never in my entire life had any problems with the police. Why is it that some people find trouble wherever they go?
Well there we go. Joyce has never had an issue in her entire life with the police. Therefore, everyone who has is automatically guilty of the offense they are accused of. Now it all makes sense. The cops haven't bothered Joyce. They are all honest and just. I say everyone who has ever been accused of any wrong-doing should march to the nearest police station and turn themselves in for a long, and obviously well deserved, stay in solitary. I mean, you were ACCUSED of a crime. Not convicted.
Welcome to the Joyce State of Americe folks. Guilty and in solitary until proven innocent. Or until Joyce lets you go. The new motto "If the cops are talking to you, you must be guilty".
Slevin damn sure earned that 22M!!