Do we have a case?????

[phenethylamine]

Me and my friends recently got pulled over in grand rapids, michigan. The police officer searched all of us, and found a quarter oz of schwag and a bowl on my friend lemon. Lemon was detained at the local jail overnight. However, he is diabetic and requires four shots of insulin daily. he was kinda okay for the night, but they did not get him insulin. He asked twice before he fell asleep and they dodged the situation. The next day, he asked two more times (a total of four times) and still, they dodged the situation. He was released on a PR bond (or something like that where we didnt have to pay, they just payed for him and if he doesnt go to court then he has to pay it..) But by this time he was starting to lose consciousness. When we arrived to pick him up, he vomited upon leaving because he really needed insulin. We had some for him, and he is fine now. Do we have a case? I think it's really fucked up that they denied him insulin like that. What can we do?

[uqlfy]

You may </span>have a case. See the problem would be is it a case of his word vs. police word on what happened?

Was he carrying insulin at time of arrest? Did have on a medical
ID bracelet indicating he was diabetic? Did he seek medical attention
after you picked him up? Can you prove he was denied medical
attention aside from his word on it? Also (i know this sounds
cruel) but he only asked four times?

That doesnt sound like an urgent plea for help, at least thats
the spin that will be put on it if they even admit to not allowing him
acess to the insulin. Or if he wasnt carrying any then it wasnt an
immediate medical need. Or since he was allegedly in possesion of MJ
than maybe he was also just looking to get high somehow. The
possibilities are endless for how far pigs can go to cover up there own
stink.



It is unlikely the police will be forthcoming about what really
occured and sadly since it doesnt sound like your friend went to
hospital after leaving the station so there isnt much in the way of
evidence that he experienced any medical difficulty.



Call your local ACLU they at least will speak to your friend and help pro-bono if they feel there is a case they can win.



oh BTW you can never be to carefull you might want to edit your post
ie;"he allegedly had 1/4 oz and a bowl" ya know what I mean.


Edited by: uqlfy

[paradies]

Originally Posted by phenethylamine

Me and my friends recently got pulled over in grand rapids, michigan. The police officer searched all of us, and found a quarter oz of schwag and a bowl on my friend lemon. Lemon was detained at the local jail overnight. However, he is diabetic and requires four shots of insulin daily. he was kinda okay for the night, but they did not get him insulin. He asked twice before he fell asleep and they dodged the situation. The next day, he asked two more times (a total of four times) and still, they dodged the situation. He was released on a PR bond (or something like that where we didnt have to pay, they just payed for him and if he doesnt go to court then he has to pay it..) But by this time he was starting to lose consciousness. When we arrived to pick him up, he vomited upon leaving because he really needed insulin. We had some for him, and he is fine now. Do we have a case? I think it's really fucked up that they denied him insulin like that. What can we do?

You probably do not have a case. Here locally, people get arrested all the time that need meds. Unfortunately, the law states that ONLY after a qualified person (usually a doctor) checks the person, can that person get drugs they need...administered by a nurse.


The problem here locally,is these doctors only come around the jails every few days...and the nurses come by twice a day. So, if you're in jail over night, you are not gonna get screened and checked out by a doctor...no drugs for you...no matter what. The alternative, in your friends, case, is to go into a diabetic episode and end up in the hospital...then you get your care. The way the law looks at it is your friend ended up getting arrested for a "crime" (not proven until in a court of law, of course). Once arrested, he didn't have all the rights of a "law abiding citizen." He was therefore under the auspices of how the law enforcement agencies work locally in your area. There is nothing the cops did that was illegal...what your friend did was illegal.


There was a recent case here locally where a women, who is on high doses of morphine several times a day for incredible pain from three botched stomach surgeries, was arrested for "giving" morphine to a teenager. The real story is the teenager...a very bad apple...who had to wear an electronic ankle bracelet so the cops knew where he was at all times, was at this women's house (his aunt's house) because the kid's mother wanted to go out. The kids' mom lied to the cops about wherewhy thekid was at the aunt's (he was never to leave his home).


Anyway, this kid called friends and created a party at his aunt's house. Keep in mind his aunt is very sick and weak and really couldn't stop this kid from starting a party. This kid found and then stole morphine from his aunt. He didn't know what he was doing and downed five times enough to kill a person...he went to sleep and died. Other kids also took the morphine...one girl took the same amount, but barfed it up (which ususally happens).


SO, the poor women was arrested and denied her mophine for over a week...this is torture, IMO. The cops can do that. She was seen as a horrible person because this kid died. Well, she went to trial. She got 12 years in prison because they decided she should have hidden her morphine better so the kid couldn't find it. YEAH RIGHT! A 17 year old total druggie kid gets left at his aunts house illegally...and he knows his aunt is on morphine. The poor women who is in horrible pain 24/7 can't possibly be expected to be able to deal with hidding everything from this rotten kid. He foundthe morphinein a hidden box the women had in a ceiling panel. How much better could the women be expected to hide the stuff!


Well, she was in jail for two years prior to her trial. She is elligible for a 1/2 sentence (meaning the 12 years gets cut in half...six years), and, of course, she gets time off for time served...so she will go away for four years in reality. But I, and many others, feel really sorry for this poor women.


Long story, I know...but I'm sure most would want to know what actually happened to the poor women. MY POINT? The cops can deny you your drugs, even after you are seen by their doctor...unless you'll actually die without them...they can force you to endure extreme pain...just 'cause they don't like you.Edited by: paradies

[Woodman]

Talk to a lawyer.

You should have gotten him to ER and called an
attorney right away.

ER can document his condition.

[Clif]

You might have a case. The police department in Grand Rapids is under a lot of fire right now for a lot of things. So, I am sure that you can finda lawyer to take your case. However, when you are booked into jail one of the questions they ask you is"Do you have ny medical conditions?" . If your friend answered yes and they still denied him treatment then I would definitely call a lawyer.Edited by: Clif

[glogga]

You probably don't have any case because no real harm came to him. If they had held him longer and he had really gotten sick then you could file a case for damages, but even still they wouldn't drop the pot charges.

[seldor]

I belive aswell that you don't have case...