Guy gets pulled over for drunk driving, county police lose records, he is left in solitary for two years.

[Dinner]

This is just a horror story. The guy gets pulled over for DWI, he gets into an argument with the cops so they throw him into solitary and then forget about him... FOR TWO YEARS! No medical attention, no shower, nothing but basic food. He couldn't even shave for two years and he had a fungus growing on his face while one of this teeth got infected from not being able to brush his teeth for two years and it was so painful he pulled it out himself. How the hell did this happen? Was it an accident or did they do this to this guy on purpose?

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/07/justice/new-mexico-inmate-settlement/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

BTW he was never convicted of the original drunk driving charge.

[Kidlicious]

How could they not do it on purpose?

[snoopy369]

I don't think there's any evidence they 'forgot' about him - they transferred him halfway through to another facility and then back, and had hearings and such. Sounds more like just generic jailhouse cruelty. I can't believe they held him 22 months without making progress on the charges - IIRC you only get 12 months at the most without extenuating circumstances, and for a DWI probably much less.

I'm curious what Susana Martinez's statement on this would be - she was the DA in Doña Ana county back then. (My mom worked for her for a few years, but well after this so I don't know anything about the specific case.) Wonder if it could become an issue if she runs for VP...

Doña Ana County is not a small county, by the way - it's the second or third most populous county in New Mexico, mostly in Las Cruces, a 100k population city. So this isn't just some random small town sheriff or something, it's a good sized facility.

[-Jrabbit]

How the hell did this happen? Was it an accident or did they do this to this guy on purpose?

Feminist conspiracy.

[Kidlicious]

I doubt that this would happen to a woman. It's hard to believe it even happening to a man.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Well, he got 15.5 million for it.

[giblets]

I doubt that this would happen to a woman. It's hard to believe it even happening to a man.

Nobody ever locks up a woman and abuses her. Especially not if their name is Josef Fritzl.

[snoopy369]

No chance at all you all could confine your "discussion" to one thread, is there.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Unfortunately, not likely.

[Dinner]

I don't think there's any evidence they 'forgot' about him - they transferred him halfway through to another facility and then back, and had hearings and such. Sounds more like just generic jailhouse cruelty. I can't believe they held him 22 months without making progress on the charges - IIRC you only get 12 months at the most without extenuating circumstances, and for a DWI probably much less.

Why did he get $22 million then? Well, originally the jury gave him $22 million but the judge reduced it to just $15.5 million.

[Alexander's Horse]

Well, he got 15.5 million for it.

Please point me in the direction of this county, a car and a bottle of bourbon

[Fake Boris]

Let me guess, this is another privately operated jail?

[snoopy369]

Why did he get $22 million then? Well, originally the jury gave him $22 million but the judge reduced it to just $15.5 million.

Erm, I didn't say they didn't do stupid, horrible, mean things to him. Just that it wasn't a matter of "forgetting", at least according to that article. That term was likely used by his counsel to make it sound worse. Ignoring is more accurate, and that's pretty bad in and of itself. 22 months of solitary is what this is about - and that's pretty bad by itself.

Let me guess, this is another privately operated jail?

What? No.

[regexcellent]

A privately operated jail probably has a lot more to lose from something like this going wrong. And it would make much bigger headlines because of the punishment for profit or whatever deal. Not saying it couldn't happen though.

Actually, come to think of it, I don't know that there are privately operated jails. I doubt it. Privately operated prisons, yes, and the distinction is important.

[giblets]

Don't you see the profit motive in needlessly holding someone in solitary confinement for two years?