Jailed for a ticket - dead after 17 days

HumblePie

Lifer
Oct 30, 2000
14,665
440
126
Well it is a very sad case, but not one I think is going anywhere. The man was legitimately in for a violation. He started acting strange and the people that saw it thought it was merely mental instability and not drug withdrawal. Unless there is a specific law for that area that states the jail officers have a direct responsibility for correctly diagnosing the root cause of the inmates behavior, I doubt very much will come of it. The man could have said before going in he was on harsh drugs and would probably go into withdrawal once in jail. Since he failed to communicate his condition before lapsing into a state he could no longer communicate that, how is it the fault of the jail officers? Especially since most jail bookings do legally require officers to ask if the person is on any medication or drugs that needs special requirements by the jail to deal with. If the inmate responds they are not on anything then the fault is on them.

Again there may be some specific laws here that may help the family of the man, but I doubt it.
 
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cabri

Diamond Member
Nov 3, 2012
3,616
1
81
Jailed for not paying a ticket earlier; not at the time.

An addict that went through withdrawal while in custody.

While a shame, two separate issues brought this on himself.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,947
126
actually humblepie if you watch the whole video you will see he was supposed to be in a med unit.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,947
126
Jailed for not paying a ticket earlier; not at the time.

An addict that went through withdrawal while in custody.

While a shame, two separate issues brought this on himself.


Yup. Clearly the system is working as intended.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
50,132
41,110
136
The man could have said before going in he was on harsh drugs and would probably go into withdrawal once in jail.

The lawsuit alleges that he did.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/09/25/lawsuit-on-jailers-watch-mich-man-imprisoned-for-ticket-died-from-excruciating-drug-withdrawal/

Before his incarceration, Stojcevski had been prescribed Xanax, Klonopin and oxycodone — drugs used to treat anxiety and drug withdrawal. He was not given any of these medications during his time in jail, according to the lawsuit, despite the fact that Stojcevski asked for his medications and his prescriptions were easily checkable on Michigan’s Automated Prescription System.

The lawsuit alleges that jail officials and medical staff knew from the start that Stojcevski was on medications for pain and addiction. During intake, he told corrections officers that he had a prescription for Methadone and was identified as having a “potential for withdrawal.”

But four days after Stojcevski was booked, he was marked as having completed his detox. Two days after that, his withdrawal symptoms began.
 

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,329
126
Well it is a very sad case, but not one I think is going anywhere. The man was legitimately in for a violation. He started acting strange and the people that saw it thought it was merely mental instability and not drug withdrawal. Unless there is a specific law for that area that states the jail officers have a direct responsibility for correctly diagnosing the root cause of the inmates behavior, I doubt very much will come of it. The man could have said before going in he was on harsh drugs and would probably go into withdrawal once in jail. Since he failed to communicate his condition before lapsing into a state he could no longer communicate that, how is it the fault of the jail officers? Especially since most jail bookings do legally require officers to ask if the person is on any medication or drugs that needs special requirements by the jail to deal with. If the inmate responds they are not on anything then the fault is on them.

Again there may be some specific laws here that may help the family of the man, but I doubt it.

The man lost 50 pounds in a bit over two weeks. That alone should have been cause for a much more rigorous medical exam. Hell he should have been hospitalized well before he died.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,947
126
The man lost 50 pounds in a bit over two weeks. That alone should have been cause for a much more rigorous medical exam. Hell he should have been hospitalized well before he died.


but if he never used drugs he never would of been on methadone. Good shoot.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,947
126
plus the guy is white so our conservative social justice warriors wont show up.
 

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,329
126
Jailed for not paying a ticket earlier; not at the time.

An addict that went through withdrawal while in custody.

While a shame, two separate issues brought this on himself.

People shouldn't be jailed because they are too poor to pay a traffic ticket especially the absurdly high fines and the fucked up system of jacking up the amount they owe because they couldn't afford the original amount. Lets not forget the "payment plans" that are worse than payday loans. They literally make you pay them a fee just to give them money, every single time you make a payment. In a lot of places if you can only afford the minimum payment the total you owe will continue to go up.

Debtors prisons are illegal in the United States.
 

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,329
126
but if he never used drugs he never would of been on methadone. Good shoot.

Of course he is responsible for his drug use but we live in a first world country, watching a man die like that because of a traffic ticket or any other reason is just disgusting. It's cruel and unusual punishment, lack of basic human rights and lack of plain human decency. This is the type of shit that happens in 3rd world shitholes, everyone who isn't outraged over this has a serious lack of basic compassion for their fellow man. I pity what that kind of mentality and life must be like.
 

cabri

Diamond Member
Nov 3, 2012
3,616
1
81
People shouldn't be jailed because they are too poor to pay a traffic ticket especially the absurdly high fines and the fucked up system of jacking up the amount they owe because they couldn't afford the original amount. Lets not forget the "payment plans" that are worse than payday loans. They literally make you pay them a fee just to give them money, every single time you make a payment. In a lot of places if you can only afford the minimum payment the total you owe will continue to go up.

Debtors prisons are illegal in the United States.

We have no idea on what his financial status was.

If he was able to afford drugs; the ticket (careless driving) should have been payable.
What did the family do when he was picked up?

What actually is careless driving?
How long was the ticket outstanding?
He apparently had a vehicle.
Picked up in a sweep would indicate that he has been ignoring the issue for a while.
Was the sweep for the ticket or something else?

To many holes in a feel bad story to exclude him from responsibility.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,947
126
We have no idea on what his financial status was.

If he was able to afford drugs; the ticket (careless driving) should have been payable.
What did the family do when he was picked up?

What actually is careless driving?
How long was the ticket outstanding?
He apparently had a vehicle.
Picked up in a sweep would indicate that he has been ignoring the issue for a while.
Was the sweep for the ticket or something else?

To many holes in a feel bad story to exclude him from responsibility.


His death was his fault.

The government functions correctly.

- a conservative
 

HumblePie

Lifer
Oct 30, 2000
14,665
440
126

cabri

Diamond Member
Nov 3, 2012
3,616
1
81
His death was his fault.

The government functions correctly.

- a conservative

More like he needs to bear some responsibility for his actions.

Is the gas company fully blamed because one holds hand close to the flame to see how much heat one is able to handle and ends up getting burned?

Some want to excuse his mistakes and bkame the last chance for everything.

Whst ever happened to personal responsibility?
 

WHAMPOM

Diamond Member
Feb 28, 2006
7,628
183
106
More like he needs to bear some responsibility for his actions.

Is the gas company fully blamed because one holds hand close to the flame to see how much heat one is able to handle and ends up getting burned?

Some want to excuse his mistakes and bkame the last chance for everything.

Whst ever happened to personal responsibility?

Don't you mean is the gas company to blame if a gas leak is reported daily for two weeks and the resulting explosion and fire takes out a block of homes?
 

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,329
126
More like he needs to bear some responsibility for his actions.

Is the gas company fully blamed because one holds hand close to the flame to see how much heat one is able to handle and ends up getting burned?

Some want to excuse his mistakes and bkame the last chance for everything.

Whst ever happened to personal responsibility?

Jails are required by law to provide adequate medical care to the prisoners that they are entrusted with. The man lost 50 pounds in less than half a month and died while supposedly being watched around the clock.

Are you saying that they shouldn't be held responsible for their actions or is it just the poor dead guy that should be held accountable?
 

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,329
126
We have no idea on what his financial status was.

If he was able to afford drugs; the ticket (careless driving) should have been payable.
What did the family do when he was picked up?

What actually is careless driving?
How long was the ticket outstanding?
He apparently had a vehicle.
Picked up in a sweep would indicate that he has been ignoring the issue for a while.
Was the sweep for the ticket or something else?

To many holes in a feel bad story to exclude him from responsibility.

I'll grant you that he might be responsible for his imprisonment but the jail was legally required to provide him adequate medical care. I think we can all agree that "adequate medical care" is a fuck load more than sticking him in a cell that is monitored around the clock and watching him wither and die in a two week span.

If it wasn't for the weight loss it wouldn't be nearly as bad but anyone who loses 50 pounds in two weeks should have been hospitalized regardless of where the hell they where or why they were there.
 

Strk

Lifer
Nov 23, 2003
10,197
4
76
I'll grant you that he might be responsible for his imprisonment but the jail was legally required to provide him adequate medical care. I think we can all agree that "adequate medical care" is a fuck load more than sticking him in a cell that is monitored around the clock and watching him wither and die in a two week span.

If it wasn't for the weight loss it wouldn't be nearly as bad but anyone who loses 50 pounds in two weeks should have been hospitalized regardless of where the hell they where or why they were there.

Too many people have been brainwashed by the war on drugs to think we should treat addicts like criminals. From the sound of it, he was trying to get clean since he was on methadone, which still kind of sucks, but for hard drugs, it's a start.

It's a shame more towns don't do like Gloucester recently did. If an addict goes into any police station there and asks for help, they'll set them up for rehab and will not be charged with anything.