Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Public Sector Gulags
The world will never know how Eric Perez died
Ursus:
An abbreviated version of Dara Kam's above article was also posted on news partner News Channel 5's website under a different title, along with video news footage also at that link.
Comments for this latter article, "State stops payment for the funeral of Eric Perez, the teen who died in DJJ custody" (by Dara Kam; 07/29/2011; Palm Beach Post/News Channel 5 - WPTV):
Terri Aaron · Last Week
$5k? OMG, what a ridiculous drop in the bucket! How much do we pay our USELESS politicians for their non-work? Can't we pinch it from THEIR salaries? You politicians are the REAL criminals! Scum.Gigi Koslow-murray · Last Week
This is totally beyond belief that the State (who appeared to be negligent in this teens death) has refused to pay $5,000.00 for this child's funeral expenses. Do you have any idea what the relatives are going through????? If you think $5,000.00 toward funeral costs is expensive, then think what an attorney would/could cost the State. Wake up you idiots.James H Johnson · Last Week
So you let the boy die for a misdemeanor and then won't pay for his funeral? Law enforcement is getting out of control.Erich Werner · Last Week
This is getting more and more outrageous.
Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc.
Ursus:
Here's a piece from the Miami Herald blog Naked Politics.
The Florida DJJ was gonna pay for Eric Perez's funeral costs, but then they put a stop on the check! Geeezzzz...
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The Miami Herald — Naked Politics
CFO Jeff Atwater won't pay for funeral for teen who died in detention
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater is refusing to pay the funeral expenses for a teenager who died in state custody after unsuccessfully seeking medical attention for several hours.
Juvenile justice administrators had offered to pay up to $5,000 in funeral costs to bury 18-year-old Eric Perez, who died at the West Palm Beach detention center on July 10. But after cutting a check to the Tillman Funeral Home, Florida's chief financial officer ordered that the check be destroyed, records show.
Perez, who was detained at the Palm Beach County Juvenile Detention Center on a marijuana possession charge, would not have been the first child whose funeral expenses were borne by the state.
In November 2008, the Department of Juvenile Justice paid for the funeral of a Tampa Bay-area youth, said agency spokesman C.J. Drake. In January 2009, the agency helped bury a Highlands County youth.
"The Department of Juvenile Justice has a policy dating from 2008 authorizing the payment of funeral expenses when a youth dies in our custody," Drake told The Miami Herald.
"The chief financial officer printed the check, and sent it over to us," Drake said, referring to the agency's offer to pay for Eric's funeral. "Then they said, 'Whoa, don't send it.'?" The funeral home, Drake said, has received no payment from the state.
Atwater's office said in a statement: "The CFO wants to have resolution on this claim and in a timely manner for the family. The Department of Juvenile Justice was advised that they did not have statutory authority to pay for funeral expenses. DJJ was also advised that a more appropriate venue to address this claim is the Division of Risk Management."
In a July 26 email to DJJ, Mark Merry from the chief financial office said DJJ "does not have statutory authority to make the payment." An agency spokesman is looking into why the department stopped payment of the check.
Drake said leaders of the two state agencies still are discussing the funeral expenses. "I'm confident that we can work out an agreement so that the expenses are paid," he said Friday afternoon. "And Secretary Walters is committed to paying the expenses."
--CAROL MARBIN MILLER AND MARC CAPUTO
Posted by Patricia Mazzei on July 29, 2011 in Jeff Atwater
Copyright 2011 Miami Herald Media Co.
Ursus:
Comments left for the above blog entry, "CFO Jeff Atwater won't pay for funeral for teen who died in detention" (by Carol Marbin Miller and Marc Caputo; July 29, 2011; The Miami Herald - Naked Politics):
Posted by: Lois | July 29, 2011 at 05:46 PM
While I have no information to form an opinion about the correctness of the state paying these funeral expenses, I am curious as to why Perez was referred to as a "child"? He is 18, but I feel certain the term "child" was used to elicit a specific judgment by the reader. Is this the way to write "news?"Posted by: Unreal guy this one. | July 30, 2011 at 10:51 AM
What Mr. Atwater should've done was hand delivery the check since he goes home to Palm Beach County every weekend anyway and lives there. This is unreal. He is no different than Alex Sink was except she worked more hours and tried hard while in Tallahassee to actually look for and solve issues costing the taxpayers too much money. Guess we don't have a state plane to shuttle him around anymore but he is using state money to do it anyway.Posted by: NativeFlWoman | July 31, 2011 at 10:29 AM
Perhaps Perez turned 18 while in custody? What I would like to know is why he was unsuccessful in receiving medical attention???? Apparently, he had a problem or he wouldn't be dead now. Why wasn't he taken to a medical facility for treatment? Sure would like the answer to those questions.
Copyright 2011 Miami Herald Media Co.
Ursus:
And here's Carol Marbin Miller's full article as it ran in the Miami Herald...
An abbreviated version of the below article (missing the last three paragraphs) was also published on August 1st by Bradenton.com under the title State balks on paying for teen's funeral.
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The Miami Herald
Posted on Friday, 07.29.11
JUVENILE JUSTICE
Florida finance chief won't pay for funeral of teen who died in lockup
State juvenile justice chiefs had sought to help bury a teenager who died in their custody. But the state's top finance administrator won't let them.
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER
CMARBIN@MIAMIHERALD.COM
Maritza Perez, the mother of Eric Perez, at a press conference Monday afternoon. (Damon Higgins/The Palm Beach Post)
Eric Perez (Photo provided)
The state's top financial officer is refusing to pay the funeral expenses for a teenager who died in state custody after unsuccessfully seeking medical attention for several hours, despite a three-year-old policy to pay such costs.
Juvenile justice administrators had offered to pay up to $5,000 in funeral costs to bury 18-year-old Eric Perez, who died at the West Palm Beach detention center on July 10. But after the state cut a check to the Tillman Funeral Home, Florida's chief financial officer ordered that the check be destroyed, records show.
Perez, who was detained at the Palm Beach County Juvenile Detention Center on a marijuana possession charge, would not have been the first child whose funeral expenses were paid by the state.
In November 2008, the Department of Juvenile Justice paid for the funeral of a Tampa Bay-area youth, said agency spokesman C.J. Drake. In January 2009, the agency helped bury a Highlands County youth. Drake could not identify the children due to confidentiality laws, he said.
"The Department of Juvenile Justice has a policy dating from 2008 authorizing the payment of funeral expenses when a youth dies in our custody," Drake told The Miami Herald.
"The chief financial officer printed the check and sent it over to us," Drake said, referring to the agency's offer to pay for Eric’s funeral. "Then they said, 'Whoa, don't send it.' " The funeral home, Drake said, has received no payment from the state.
In a July 26 email to DJJ, the CFO's chief of auditing, Mark Merry, said DJJ "does not have statutory authority to make the payment."
Perez's mother, 47-year-old Maritza Perez, was too distraught Friday afternoon to discuss her son's burial expenses, which totaled $7,600.
"They killed him in there," is all Perez could say Friday. Her attorney could not be reached for comment.
Drake said state officials are still discussing the funeral expenses. "I'm confident that we can work out an agreement so that the expenses are paid," he said Friday afternoon. He added that DJJ Secretary Wansley Walters is committed to paying the expenses.
But a spokeswoman for the finance chief seemed to suggest late Friday that the CFO's office is unlikely to budge.
In an email to The Herald, a CFO spokeswoman, Anna A. Alexopoulis, said Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater "wants to have resolution on this claim, and in a timely manner for the family."
"The Department of Juvenile Justice was advised that they did not have the statutory authority to pay for funeral expenses," Alexopoulis wrote. "DJJ was also advised that a more appropriate venue to address this claim is the Division of Risk Management," which defends the state when it is sued. A lawyer for Perez's mother has informed authorities of the family's intent to file a lawsuit.
Perez turned 18 on July 2, a few days after he was arrested. At about 1:30 a.m. on July 10, he complained his head hurt, and he vomited and appeared to be hallucinating for the next seven hours. A guard on duty in Perez's cellblock told The Herald that he wanted to call for an ambulance, but both his supervisor and the lockup's superintendent forbade him from calling 911.
Perez was pronounced dead at 8:09 a.m., minutes after paramedics arrived. Records show the youth had stopped breathing before paramedics got there.
In the days after Perez's death, Walters, the state's top juvenile justice administrator, suspended five guards and the lockup's superintendent, Anthony C. Flowers. Walters later fired one guard and his supervisor.
Walters told The Herald this week that she will release to Perez's mother seven to eight hours of video shot from two cameras that captured her sons's final hours at the lockup. Beyond that, the agency has declined to discuss the youth's death in any detail, citing ongoing investigations by both DJJ's inspector general and the West Palm Beach police.
Paolo Annino, a Florida State University law professor who heads a legal clinic for children and disabled people, praised juvenile justice chiefs for both developing the burial policy and seeking to "do the right thing" for Perez's family. He suggested the state is obligated to bury the teen, since authorities failed in their basic duty to keep him safe. State finance chiefs, Annino added, should rethink their objections.
"If they looked at this carefully, and they still arrived at this conclusion, then there is something seriously wrong," Annino said.
Copyright 2011 Miami Herald Media Co.
Ursus:
Comments left for the above article, "Florida finance chief won't pay for funeral of teen who died in lockup" (by Carol Marbin Miller, 07.29.11, Miami Herald), #s 1-20:
radney · 07/29/2011 04:45 PM
Heartlessness only a true fiscal conservative could manage.
God, these people in Tallahassee are disgusting.miamibeach99 · 07/29/2011 07:14 PM in reply to radney
Excuse me. You actually think pig DEMS are going to give them the money. If you have such concern, since you can make such comments, open up your pocketbook and give to them. Or, are you just heartless.modsquad · 07/29/2011 09:02 PM in reply to miamibeach99
cremate the poor child and give mom the ashes!radney · 07/30/2011 07:53 AM in reply to modsquad
The child might be alive if not for the actions of jail employees. Allow the family some dignity and let them choose within reason like anyone should.sinbadsailor · 07/30/2011 11:15 AM in reply to radney
The young man has already been buried. The funeral was completed long ago. This dispute is over a bill that the family wants taxpayers to pay while the family continues their lawsuit against the taxpayers.[/list][/list][/list][/list]
radney · 07/30/2011 07:51 AM in reply to miamibeach99
I teach children who get in trouble and need help. I spend my life caring for them genius and yes, Dems WOULD pay without worrying about teabaggers like you.charleo1 · 07/30/2011 08:34 AM in reply to miamibeach99
Did, "radney," lock up this kid? It's not, "radney's," responsibility. So excuse yourself.EarthOne · 07/30/2011 09:38 AM in reply to miamibeach99
This is not a liberal vs. conservative issue, this is a matter of doing the right thing for this family who just lost a son because of the incredible indifference, and stupidity, of detention personnel. And this was not a kid who just murdered someone, he was simply a kid, like so many other kids, who got caught with some marijuana. I wonder if those of you who were happy to see him pass would feel the same way if your brother, sister or mother was caught with a small pouch of marijuana. In either case, it's very likely that the family will win this case of negligence.[/list][/list]
red2121 · 07/30/2011 06:57 PM in reply to radney
The facts in this case seem to suggest the State was negligent. They were ready to cut a check. I hope the mother sues them if she can for wrongful death. The state has a responsibility to care for those under arrest. This was a kid on a relatively minor charge. I didn't see if the kid had lengthy priors but regardless, that is the least they can do. This should not be a dem or republican issue, it is what is RIGHT! However, under the current administration, I do feel Scott and his cronies have no problem stepping on the necks of little people. I voted Republican for the most part in the last election, but not DICK SCOTT, since I was convinced he was an idiot or crook who had no business running out state.[/list]
biobot · 07/29/2011 04:51 PM
That stupid move is only going to mean a larger out of court settlement. Good. The family deserves it.martiansaresmarter · 07/29/2011 04:54 PM
OH! its not that they don't want to pay, just that SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS have to be made, maybe someone's cousin needs to be "taken care of"..... or the WRONG people got some WRONG money, so now they need to "fix" thangs so the RIGHT peoples get what's comin' to them.
its all good, the state will be paying more, thats all.....roger · 07/29/2011 04:56 PM
The article doesn't specifically say, but this is likely the work of Jeff Atwater, Florida's Chief Financial Officer. He's one of the retrograde conservative sleazebags elected to statewide office last November, along with The Big Sleazy, Gov. Tricky Rick Scott. Class acts, all.ninodeoro · 07/29/2011 04:56 PM
wow how stupid can society be another child's life lost over a G-d given right... legalize it and stop with the nonsense... no one else needs to be hurtTimeForChange · 07/29/2011 05:11 PM
If the state Pays anything -- The State automatically Admits Liability.FortyfiveAutomatic · 07/29/2011 05:14 PM in reply to TimeForChange
Who cares?...might as well pay it, the damage is done already.lucky0111 · 07/29/2011 05:45 PM in reply to TimeForChange
Bingo. Just like car insurance companies tell you to never admit fault at the scene of an accident, I'm sure their attorneys are having a conniption over this.jim444 · 07/30/2011 07:44 AM in reply to TimeForChange
All we can go on right now is this story. What you say is right. But, with the firing of the guard and or supervisor, we may never find the real truth. So all we have is this video to go by. If I were one of the people who got fired and could possibly face criminal charges I don't know if I would hang around and go to prison on neglect charges. The mother should have received that video by now. The longer they hold that video the better chance they have to alter the video. Why have they not given the video to her yet? I think in this case they should pay, then they can see what the video shows.charleo1 · 07/30/2011 08:31 AM in reply to TimeForChange
That would be the truth. Would it not?[/list]
Brenda1212 · 07/29/2011 10:07 PM
Where are our morals. Please help this family, they have struggled enough. Everyone, please pray.cljahn · 07/29/2011 11:20 PM
Atwater better get that check into Maritza Perez's hands pronto, and I don't care if it comes out of his own pocket, or if he sells Rick Scott's limo to raise the cash. The state of Florida murdered Perez's son. Enough damage has been done by idiots working for the state; if Atwater can't make this right by Monday morning, he should tender his resignation Monday afternoon. This is simply unacceptable.
Copyright 2011 Miami Herald Media Co.
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