COALITION AGAINST INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD ABUSE
 HEADLINE NEWS                                                                                                                                                                                                             CAICA EN FRANÇAIS
 

CAICA     HOME   │   NEWS  │  PROGRAM NEWS  │  STORIES │  DEATHS  │   WWASPS   │  PARENTS' CORNER  │  MISSION  │ SITE MAP │  LINKS & RESOURCES
  _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

              AUTISM  │ LITIGATION  │  LEGISLATION  │ JUVENILE JUSTICE  │ MENTAL HEALTH │ LIGHTER SIDE │  EN FRANCAIS  │ COMMENTS  │ LIST SERVE  │  BLOGS  
 

 

Family sues agencies over boot camp death
 

By BRENT KALLESTAD, Associated Press Writer Wed Jul 12, 9:24 PM ET

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The family of a 14-year-old boy who died hours after being manhandled by guards at a juvenile boot camp sued two agencies Wednesday, seeking more than $40 million in damages.

Ben Crump, who represents the family of Martin Lee Anderson, filed the lawsuit against the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Bay County Sheriff's Office, which ran the camp under contract with the state.

Sheriff's officials rejected an offer to settle for its insurance policy limit of $3 million, Crump said.

The boy's January death led to protests in the Capitol and at Gov.

Jed Bush's office, the resignation of the head of the state's law enforcement agency, and a law to eliminate military-style boot camps. The teen died in Pensacola after his videotaped ordeal with guards in the Panama City boot camp.

"A video proves that as seven guards punished Martin by kicking, punching, kneeing, choking and slamming him while they jammed ammonia tablets up his nose and covered his mouth, a nurse watched him slip in and out of consciousness," Crump said at a news conference. "These heinous, malicious and torturous treatments led to his death."

Anthony Schembri, secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice, said he could not comment on pending litigation. But he added: "Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family of Martin Lee Anderson."

Sheriff Frank McKeithen said no settlement has been reached because the investigation is still pending. A special prosecutor is still trying to determine whether to charge any of the guards.

Crump said he based the $40 million figure largely on a similar Texas case in which a jury in 2003 awarded a family $40.1 million after an 18-year-old died after two months in a boot camp. The teen had been forced to complete intense physical programs despite his pleas for medical help.

The teen in the current case collapsed after an intense workout at the Florida camp, where he was sent for a probation violation for trespassing at a school. He and his cousins had been charged with stealing their grandmother's car from a church parking lot.

An initial autopsy found his death was caused by complications of a usually harmless blood disorder. His body was later exhumed and a second autopsy concluded he died of suffocation when guards covered his mouth while forcing ammonia capsules up his nose trying to revive him.

Waylon Graham, the attorney for Lt. Charles Helms, the highest-ranking officer who was on the exercise yard with the teen, questioned the family's motives in suing.

"None of these officers set out to harm this young man in any way," Graham said. "I think this has turned into a game of money."

 

 

DISCLAIMER, WARNINGS, AND NOTICE TO READERS: This website does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the information, content collectively, the "Materials") contained on, distributed through, or linked, downloaded or accessed from any of the services contained on this website (the "Service"). None of the contributors, sponsors, administrators or anyone else connected with this website in any way whatsoever can be responsible for the appearance of any inaccurate or libelous information or for your use of the information contained in these web pages. All information provided using this website is only intended to be general summary information to the public.

FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages may contain copyrighted (© ) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

REFERRALS: CAICA is not a referral agency. CAICA does not refer to or promote facilities or transport companies for children or teens. CAICA warns parents that the parent pay / parent choice programs ie. Residential Treatment Centers, Therapeutic Boarding Schools, Behavior Modification Programs, Christian Programs, Positive Peer Culture Programs, etc., are not regulated by the Federal Government and that it is a "Buyer Beware" industry. CAICA provides the following for parents: Message to Parents, Help for Distraught and Desperate Parents, and Questions to Ask and Warning Signs.

© 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009