Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Public Sector Gulags

The world will never know how Eric Perez died

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Ursus:
There were no comments left for the above article, not on the Palm Beach Post website, nor on that of its news partner, NewsChannel 5. However, here's a short interesting piece from the Wobbly Warrior's Blog commenting on just that:

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Wobbly Warrior's Blog

The Palm Beach Post has a 500 character limit on online comments. Unless you're me.
Posted on August 2, 2011 by Susan Chandler

My limit is zero characters.

The Palm Beach Post rejected today's comment — as they have all of my recent comments — thusly: "You have to wait a while before posting another comment. Please try again later."

My rejected 500 character comment on, "Atwater reverses, issues burial check to family of youth who died in state custody," appears below the article link, leading off with their proofreading error in quotes.

Undeservedly, FBI Director Mueller was just granted another two years at the helm by the Senate. I doubt the FBI recovered their 160 missing laptops and 160 missing weapons Sen. Leahy once included in his pages of oversight complaints, because – like Atwater, Haridopolos and the media — the FBI sure hasn't recovered its scruples.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/atwat ... 81421.html

“the agency lacked the authority to for the payment”
Negligence ended a teen's life, his family was mistreated and the PBP's "coverage" is poorly proofread, he said/she said nothingness.

Atwater, like Haridopolos, is the son of an FBI agent who pretends he doesn't know the FBI should be investigating Florida's ever-expanding conviction corruption.

Failing to print what politicians pretend is election engineering that tramples the public trust and flouts your fiduciary responsibilities, PBP.


This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged CFO Jeff Atwater, Eric Perez, FBI, FBI Director Mueller, Palm Beach Post, Sen. Mike Haridopolos, wrongful prison death.

Ursus:
An entry on this development from the Miami Herald blog Naked Politics:

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The Miami Herald — Naked Politics

CFO Jeff Atwater says his office will pay for teen's funeral; blames DJJ for delay

Jeff Atwater, Florida's chief financial officer, issued a statement Monday regarding a story last week noting that his office was not paying for the funeral of 18-year-old Eric Perez, who died in a West Palm Beach detention center on July 10.

Atwater's office says it is working directly with Perez's family attorney to cover the funeral expenses within 48 hours through the state's Division of Risk Management -- instead of through the Department of Juvenile Justice, which did not have the authority to make the payment.

Here is the statement:

TALLAHASSEE—Florida's Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, who oversees the Department of Financial Services, released the following statement today following news reports last Friday regarding the payment of funeral expenses for Eric Perez, who died on July 10, 2011, while in the care of the Department of Juvenile Justice at a state detention facility in West Palm Beach.

"My office is now working directly with the family's attorney through our Division of Risk Management, and my commitment is to have a check covering funeral expenses for this young man in the hands of the family within 48 hours.

"Regrettably, this tragic delay would not have occurred if the Department of Juvenile Justice had not blatantly ignored guidance from my office.

"In the future, I would hope that DJJ would be more transparent in its dealings with the public and with taxpayer monies."

Posted by Patricia Mazzei on August 1, 2011 in Jeff Atwater


Copyright 2011 Miami Herald Media Co.

Ursus:
Comment left for the above blog piece, "CFO Jeff Atwater says his office will pay for teen's funeral; blames DJJ for delay" (by Patricia Mazzei; August 1, 2011; Miami Herald - Naked Politics):


Posted by: jim heffner | August 02, 2011 at 08:38 AM
The punishment for any crime should not exceed the harm done by the crime.

"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"

Copyright 2011 Miami Herald Media Co.

Ursus:
Despite previous assurances to the contrary on the part of the Florida DJJ, the State Attorney's Office is now trying to prevent release of the video to Eric Perez's mum...

An abbreviated version of the below article (sans the last six paragraphs) also appeared in the Sun-Sentinel on August 1st under the title Grand jury to probe teen's death in West Palm jail.

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The Miami Herald
Posted on Monday, 08.01.11

JUVENILE JUSTICE
Grand jury to probe teen's death in lockup
 
As Eric Perez's death at a West Palm Beach lockup continued to reverberate Monday, prosecutors are trying to seal a key piece of evidence: a video of the teen's final hours.

BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER
CMARBIN@MIAMIHERALD.COM


Eric Perez (Photo provided)

State prosecutors in West Palm Beach have convened a grand jury to look into the death of Eric Perez, a teenager who stopped breathing at a juvenile detention center after he sought medical care unsuccessfully for hours.

The Palm Beach State Attorney's Office, which is spearheading the death investigation, also has asked a judge to prevent juvenile justice administrators from releasing a video that details Perez's final hours at the lockup. Perez, 18, died at 8:09 a.m. July 10, about two weeks after he was arrested for possessing a small amount of marijuana, and several hours after he sought medical care for a severe headache and vomiting. The cause of his death remains undetermined.

In a court pleading filed Friday, the State Attorney's Office said releasing the video to Perez's mother, who has requested it under Florida's public records law, "will cause irreparable harm to the pending criminal and grand jury investigation."

Last spring, lawmakers passed a revision to the state's public records law forbidding the release of pictures or recordings that show a person dying. The bill, which took effect last month, included one exception: spouses or parents of the deceased still may be given copies of such recordings. Maritza Perez, the dead teen's mom, has made a formal request for it.

Perez, 47, told The Miami Herald on Monday that prosecutors offered her a deal: They would give her a copy of the video if she vowed not to show it publicly. Perez said she declined the offer, because she wants everyone to know how her son died.

"Only the mother has the right to the tape, and I want the tape, and I'm going to show it to the world," Perez said. "I'm not going to let this die. I'm not going to let Eric die for nothing."

"I don't want other kids to suffer what my son went through. I don't want any other mother to suffer the way I have suffered," Perez said.

The fate of the seven to eight hours of video may be decided Tuesday morning. Prosecutors will ask Palm Beach Circuit Judge Stephen A. Rapp at a 10:30 hearing to keep the video under wraps.

"This request is made to preserve the integrity of the pending criminal investigation, not to thwart the interests of the parents of the decedent," Assistant State Attorney Andrew R. Slater wrote in the motion.

The controversy surrounding the youth's death continued to swirl Monday, as a spokeswoman for state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater blasted juvenile justice administrators for seeking to spend $5,000 from the Department of Juvenile Justice's budget to help Perez bury her son.

"My office is now working directly with the family's attorney through our Division of Risk Management, and my commitment is to have a check covering funeral expenses for this young man in the hands of the family within 24 hours," Atwater said in a prepared statement. Late Monday, Atwater's spokeswoman said a check had been mailed to the family overnight.

But Atwater did not stop there. He also accused juvenile justice administrators of adding to the family's pain by botching the expenditure. "Regrettably, this tragic delay would not have occurred if the Department of Juvenile Justice had not blatantly ignored guidance from my office. In the future, I would hope that DJJ would be more transparent in its dealings with the public and with taxpayer monies," Atwater wrote.

His spokeswoman, Anna Alexopoulis, said "the proper venue" for paying the funeral expenses would have been the CFO's Office of Risk Management, which defends the state against lawsuits — not the DJJ operating budget. Perez has notified the state of her intent to sue.

"DJJ failed to submit the claim to Risk Management even after our department had advised them to do so," Alexopoulis said.

A DJJ spokesman, C.J. Drake, replied: "We're pleased that this matter is finally being resolved in favor of the young man’s family."

On Saturday, The Herald reported that DJJ had sought the $5,000 to help the Perez family defray the costs of the teen's funeral under a policy implemented in 2008. Since then, DJJ administrators have paid the funeral costs for two other youths who died while in the agency's care, one in 2008 and another the following year. After first cutting the check last week, Atwater's office then instructed DJJ to destroy it.

Also on Monday, DJJ administrators confirmed they had fired a guard who had been the subject of a lengthy article in The Herald last week. The guard, Laryell King, had previously worked for several years at the agency's lockup in Orange County, but was fired after leaving youths unsupervised — including locking up one boy in a room for 45 minutes, until he banged on a door to get help. Her personnel record included a strong warning: "NO rehire in any position." Nevertheless, she was rehired in September 2010 at the West Palm Beach detention center. King could not be reached for comment.

King's dismissal letter, which is dated July 29, said King had failed to complete her probation at the West Palm Beach lockup "satisfactorily," and Florida law allowed her to be "terminated at any time without the right to appeal such action."


Copyright 2011 Miami Herald Media Co.

Ursus:
Comments left for the above article, "Grand jury to probe teen's death in lockup" (By Carol Marbin Miller, 08.01.11, The Miami Herald):


SouthPort · 08/01/2011 09:13 PM
it was murder but will be covered up after an "internal investigation" -- book it!Dusty Roads · 08/02/2011 08:54 AM in reply to SouthPort
The reason the GOONs do not want to release the video is because it show what pathetic putzs' the Goons really are.
 
Everyone of those Goons are guilty of cold blooded murder!
 
CASE POINT:  They know something was wrong so they followed Florida S.O.P.-----"Sweep it under the rug and hope nobody lifts the rugs"[/list]
chicoheights · 08/01/2011 10:29 PM
Another Florida Grand Jury... this one probably will be less informed and competent than the one that indicted Casey Anthony. Couldn't convict anybody in this neighborhood of anything anyway...not concerning negligence anyway unless the kid magically turns White; maybe not even then.Dusty Roads · 08/02/2011 08:59 AM
Sounds like Ms.  Perez needs the "The Giant Killer" "WILLIE GARY"
Attorney Willie E. Gary earned his reputation as "The Giant Killer" by taking down some of America’s most well-known giants on behalf of his clients.

He has won some of the largest jury awards and settlements in U.S. history, including more than 150 cases valued in excess of $1 million each. Gary's amazing success has earned him national recognition as a leading trial attorney.

Gary has been featured in Forbes magazine which has listed him as one of the "Top 50 Attorneys in the U.S."

He has been highlighted in many of the Nation's most respected media publications, such as The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, Ebony, Jet, People, Black Enterprise, Fortune.

 http://www.garylawgroup.com/form.html[/list]
cassiuscasio · 08/02/2011 09:21 AM in reply to Dusty Roads
This is worse than chasing an ambulance[/list]
vic1 · 08/02/2011 09:00 AM
Another needless death of a child at the hands of the great state of florida.UMFAN181818 · 08/02/2011 09:38 AM
Im sure he was a good kid.. Why else would he be in a jeuvenile detention center. The mom shouldnt worry so much about other kids suffering like her son did.. What she should have worried about is taking care of her son and keeping him out of a "Jeuvenile Detention Center". Now shes so sad for the death of her son. Especially when you can probably profit out of it. Just look at the kids picture... He looked like a modern day role model. GOD BLESS HIM!!!!!ch1pn3ss · 08/02/2011 09:54 AM in reply to UMFAN181818
Last time I checked a marijuana possession charge wasn't a capital offense. But yeah, this kid looks like a no good punk, what with his basketball shoes and his basketball shorts. Wait, wearing basketball shoes isn't a capital offense either? Ok Drakon, go get some fresh air and stop sippin' on that haterade.Locoenelcoco · 08/02/2011 10:08 AM in reply to ch1pn3ss
stop being so sarcastic...you missed the rubber band on his wrist...In gang initiations in West Palm they use them to strangle stray puppies[/list][/list]
smash44 · 08/02/2011 10:42 AM
Sad as the situation is, it is not murder as some of you feeble-minded clowns are clamoring for. It is not even manslaughter. Nobody ever touched the kid. If he was denied medical treatment, then it could be construed as negligence, but not murder.chicoheights · 08/02/2011 10:55 AM in reply to smash44
Voluntary or involuntary Negligence deaths are classified as manslaughter(In other words) Murder in the third degree.U2J · 08/02/2011 01:12 PM in reply to smash44
Negligence = Manslaughter[/list]
mung · 08/02/2011 11:17 AM
Of course the state is going to block the release of the video.  That is tantamount to pleading the 5th.  They don't wish to incriminate themselves.

Not that it would change anything.  Floridians will continue to vote for candidates that promise to slash spending.  Once in office, these politicians will continue to privatize infrastructure (and line their pockets with kickbacks from the corrections industry).oloruawe · 08/02/2011 11:56 AM
This seems to be a big problem with Government , They are reactive instead of proactive.

I was told by a young lady that used to be a student at The  M.D.C.C.  School of Criminal Justice , that a former instructor by the name of Mr.G. Otero physically and verbally abused a student with Autism. The Family sued the school and Mr Otero was asked to resign as an instructor. I was also told that Mr Otero now works at the Miami Dade Juvenile Detention Center.

In my view anyone that physically abuses a person , especially a child with Autism should have been charged and send to jail. The MDCC School of Criminal Justice should have not covered up this tragedy. especially when they are suppose to lead and teach by example. What ever happen to ethics and integrity ?

Again , this was a story that was told to me by a former student of MDCC

All men are innocent until they are proven guilty. having said that, if he was  guilty he should have been charged and convicted

Has The Miami Herald investigated this story ? or are they waiting for another tragedy to happen ?CarolMarbinMiller · 08/02/2011 04:56 PM in reply to oloruawe
Oloruawe,
Call  me. I am the reporter on this story, and I'd like to hear from you.
My nunber is (305) 376-3211.
Thank you.[/list]
U2J · 08/02/2011 01:06 PM
You all don't get it. Under Florida law, the surviving members of the family are only entitled to losses that would have been provided by the deceased and punitive damages. By paying the funeral costs of the youth, the DJJ and CFO are trying to limit their liability and spinning it to make them look human, which they're not. It's sad, but our children do not provide for us parents and are worth less in damages because they don't support anyone. Blood sucking lawyers have even claimed that the deceased child provides financial relief to the parents. In some wrongful death cases, the parents aren't entitled to any compensation. SAD/SICK but true.theloneconsumer · 08/02/2011 06:25 PM
Reminds me of the Anderson Boot Camp death, where the administrator for DJJ decided in emails to destroy the evidence for the Boot Camp death.
  Interesting that the pathologist was two counties away, and his autopsy held, even though his LICENSE EXPIRED.
  More interesting that the Jeb appointed Atty did NOT do a change of Venue, did NOT fight to have ANY black person on the jury....
   Looks like a Jeb Bush Ober replay?jokyla · 08/02/2011 07:24 PM
"I disagree strongly with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
This simple democratic quote from philosopher Voltaire has gone by the wayside here on these post boards as the DISQUS commentator police attempt to thwart free speech they disagree with at every turn.UMFAN181818 · 08/03/2011 10:29 AM
Oh shoot.. I didnt realize it was for a small amout of marijuana.. You got me.. I stopped reading half way when I read Jeuvenile Detention center... You are right... Those cops should be held accountable and treated like animals just like we would be if the shoe was on the other foot.

Copyright 2011 Miami Herald Media Co.

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