Man accused of killing couple released from jail but refuses to leave unless he has a gun

orlandosentine ^ | May 1, 2009 | Sarah Lundy

[Joiseydude]

Joseph Modeste — accused of fatally shooting two people in 2003 — has a get-out-of-jail ruling from an Orange County judge, but he now won't leave the Orange County Jail.

Not unless he or his family members can have a gun for protection.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

What do you mean; he won't leave?

The guards or troopers could cuff him, take him downtown in the paddywagon and throw him on the sidewalk.

[gieriscm]

Just before release, a pretrial-services official explained to Modeste, who suffers from mental illnesses, the rules of home confinement...

Modeste knows he won't have to stay much longer. His next hearing is scheduled for May 11. That's when prosecutors are expected to drop the murder charges against him, allowing him to go free without restrictions.

If he is released for good, Modeste said he plans to move to Virginia.

"When I get out of this, I will be able to carry a licensed firearm, and I will do that at that point and I will feel safer," he said.

If this guy has ever been involuntarily committed he won't be getting a CHL in VA.

[Steamburg]

“Suffers from mental illness”, but knows that there may be some people not happy with him for killing family members. What are we missing? Is that a tactic to prevent prosecution? What is the “illness” and what treatment has been rendered?
Kaliforni won’t release those sensitive medical records, so its likely he will get his CHL.

It’s a lot like HI and COB’s from other countries. You know a real non-issue.

[gieriscm]

Involuntary commitment is a legal process and gets reported to NICS. After the Cho/VT incident the feds pushed hard to get the states to send those records to the FBI.

[Steamburg]

Several states have yet to comply with the “reporting Standard”, particularly after reviewing the HIPAA rules. I don’t know if Florida is one of those declining. In deed we don’t know the nature, or extent of illness, or the treatment related to the gentleman’s condition. To make matters more complicated, the procedure for obtaining an order of involuntary commitment and the definitions of such commitments vary so widely as to make this title a joke.

[skeeter]

At first glance, the case seemed simple: Investigators said Modeste confessed to shooting tenants Betty and Arthur Williams, both 41, while he tried to collect overdue rent Aug. 28, 2003. Modeste pulled a gun on Williams, who threw a machete and a bar stool at him. Betty Williams was shot in the melee. Arthur Williams fled outside; Modeste said he shot him in the street.

[WOBBLY BOB]

Sounds like he could land a nice job with ACORN.

[skeeter]

‘Cept to qualify for employment with ACORN he’d have to be a tenant shooting his landlord.