Libertarian ping! To be added or removed freepmail me or post a message here.
Posted on 06/19/2008 2:34:30 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
Calling from a Tarrant County Jail phone in early June, Adrienne Lemons chatted with her 3-year-old son, Chase, and told her ex-husband in Louisiana that she was not getting antibiotics for an infection.
The Dallas woman, 35, was in jail because of unpaid traffic tickets. Ten days after being booked, she was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital, where she died within hours.
Lemons’ relatives said Wednesday that they still don’t know why she didn’t get medical help sooner.
"It is a tragic thing that my sister goes in for some traffic tickets and comes out dead," said her brother Shannon Woodrome, 37, of Little Elm. "I can see an infection killing someone in the 1600s or the 1700s, but that shouldn’t happen today."
(Excerpt) Read more at star-telegram.com ...
I’m all for law and order, but no one should get the death penalty for over traffic tickets.
I agree.
Because CO's don't listen to inmates; everyone's got something to complain about. Liabilty of some sort probably plays a part also.
Libertarian ping! To be added or removed freepmail me or post a message here.
MRSA
Oh, I’m guessing drugs played a part in her life.
Let’s be fair. If she had the infection already and if she did not go to jail, where would she have been treated? Too many questions. We will know all when the lawsuit has been filed. Lots of people go to jail for the free dental.
That is what I was thinking. MRSA runs like a pack of elephants in jail cells.
and a little boy is left with ashes in an urn for a mother.
There are times when suits are justified. This is one.
I hope someone sees that little boy has a goodly fund set up.
And you make that assumption about someone who cannot defend herself - on the world wide web where it will stay forever - based on what evidence?
I'm guessing such knee-jerk assumptions with no evidence is where the term knee-KERK comes from...but I'm just assuming.
“knee-KERK” = make that knee-JERK
omg
Death for traffic tickets.
Land of the free my...
I’ve never heard of jail for “unpaid traffic tickets” in the US. What were the charges for which she was held or sentenced? Was DUI or DWI involved?
Why? Who wouldn't bail her out?
I’m guessing that your guess is right, too.
Apparently this place has a history of neglecting inmate health needs. The article says they lost 10 inmates in 2005 and a subsequent investigation showed the whole system for it was (to use a nice word) lacking.
“I hope someone sees that little boy has a goodly fund set up.”
Indeed.
I don’t know about Texas, where this ocurred, but in California if you have unpaid traffic tickets they go to warrant. If you are pulled over and have outstanding warrants, you go to jail. Simple as that.
My guess is sloppy reporting (and look what happens). Bench warrant issued for failure to appear, arrested and incarcerated. Ultimately, for unpaid traffic tickets . . . but the reporter misses the step in favor of the human interest angle. Just my opinion, naturally.
This is a great example why "health care" by government doesn't work.
I personally know about government programs and how useless they are
Four years ago I cut my leg at work, and within two weeks my leg was so infected with staph, I thought I was going to loss it. Workers Comp (state government program) could have cared less. I got one visit to a doctor, he gave me the wrong antibodies that were useless. I could not see the WC doctor until two weeks after my pills ran out,
I took matters into my own hands and checked myself into an emergency hospital for treatment. Workers comp wouldn't pay for it, because it wasn't approved. My insurance wouldn't pay for it because it was a WC claim.
Of course while they fought over who was responsible I would have had my leg cut off before I died from staph infection like this poor woman.
Since I'm not a moron and happen to like walking around with two legs, I paid for it and got my leg fixed.
If I was in a Ft. Worth jail, I'd probably be dead
Unpaid tickets will get you a bench warrant, a bench warrant, if caught will get you arrested
I thought that was pretty common practice
Gee, don't you ever watch "cops" ?
I don’t care what she did, aside from murder, she should have gotten some medicine for crying out loud!
If she had not been in jail, she would been able to take herself to a hospital by calling 911.
I’m sorry, but that is a completely unbelievable statement you just made.
If the Tarrant County taxpayers have to pony up a few million in damages, they might want to revisit their jail procedures and make a few heads roll.
Traffic tickets shouldn’t be a capital offense.
Or if you don’t show up for court to pay, bench warrants are issued and if you don’t have someone who can bail you out (it isn’t just about money, it’s about a bondsman who will give you the bond), you sit until court date which could take months.
Someone ought to pay for this, There was no reason for her to die from it.
Might be a slanted story as she was taken to JPS where she died. Ten minutes at JPS will make any sane person wonder.
ten days in jail for unpaid traffic tickets?
no bail, no public defender........
something wrong with this situation and story- dont think we are getting all the facts here
Then...you would see she gets some sort of infection and raises hell saying she will slit her wrists rather than suffer the infection. (bells ans whistles go off and she is now a violent phsyco headed to a different area with different rules where what you say is not considered true...."My name is Jesus... Im from the planet Argon.."
The lack of hospital care between those two junctures and guards made a fatal difference. But, when you go through 20,000 a year it can easily happen.
But...she was in jail because she chose jail instead of bail.
Serious question, did you name your FR handle after the character from “Prince of Space”?
Yes, I did. Good catch.
Lemons’ relatives said Wednesday that they still don't know why she didn't get medical help sooner.
Because CO's don't listen to inmates; everyone's got something to complain about. Liabilty of some sort probably plays a part also.
Is that lesbian still the sheriff of Dallas County? Maybe the inmate wasn't friendly enough with the sheriff?
Here in Nueces County, we had a scandal two years ago when the federal government decertified the Nueces County Jail and removed all federal prisoners from custody inside it. This cost the county millions of dollars in lost revenues from housing federal prisoners and costs to remediate the deficiencies. The funny thing is that the sheriff under whose watch the conditions deteriorated had resigned in mid term to run for Nueces County Judge, and the temporary acting sheriff was running for the remaining two years of the term. On election day 2006 while Republicans were getting slaughtered nationally, Nueces County, Texas Republicans were able to pick up both positions (County Judge and Sheriff) for the first time since the Reconstruction. The new Republican sheriff has reformed the operation of the jail, and federal prisoners are again housed there. He cracked down on delays in processing bail, so prisoners are released within just a few hours rather than days after judges set bail.
This incident at the Dallas County Jail should be used by Republicans to oust the incompetent DemocRAT sheriff and to regain control of Dallas County on election day 2008.
What does Dallas County have to do with this article about a Fort Worth situation in Tarranty County?
Umm.....you win 5 extra points!
Whoops I should have read the article more closely. The woman was from Dallas County but was held in the Tarrant County jail. Is Tarrant County ‘RAT infested like Dallas County?
Good question. I misread the article. The woman is from Dallas County, but she was held in the Tarrant County Jail. I read
A lot of people die in hospitals, Shannon. A former police chief recently died from a staph infection down here in South Texas.
That's freaking awesome! Coincidentally, that episode of MST3K is one of my favorites and I just rented it from Netflix earlier this week. If I may make a suggestion, you should figure out a way to phonetically spelll that horrendous laugh of his and use it as your FR tagline.
Are you familiar with this new project the MST3K people are doing? I haven't had a chance to check it out yet, but I've heard good things.
That's exactly why all judges, police and teachers should be randomly drug tested regularly and routinely.
That should include members of Congress, and *all* others on the tax payer payrolls, at *every* government level.
Government has become totally incompetent and painfully expensive for the working class .
After that, reduce the size of government at every level by about 75 percent, swiftly eliminating millions millions of government positions. These people need to get real jobs, and stop being parasites, sucking the life out of those in the private sector.
That being said, this county in Texas, and those that allowed this neglect to occur, will pay big. Their positions should be the first eliminated, since it will the the tax payers that ultimately pay.
If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a total MST3K nerd.
I agree.
You know, they could put inmates to work keeping the cells clean. There is no excuse for MRSA being so ramped in jails.
Don’t you usually get a Denver Boot on your car for unpaid tickets, rather than stewing in stir?
That should teach her not to drive on the government roads.
How nice for California.
If California had decided to become another country a decade or so ago (as it should have), the rest of us wouldn't be putting up with your B.S.
Even more tragic that this happened in a country that fought wars and experienced decades of civil unrest over the right to travel.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.