Another View Of The Sandra Bland Case.

[The Professor]

I believe that most people are approaching this case from the wrong direction. I would forget about trying to find the police guilty of murder. The murder of an inmate by police is such a rare occurrence that it should never warrant a presumption absent clear and convincing evidence. Besides, I am confident that the video tapes will ultimately show that no one entered Sandra's cell making such a murder impossible. The real issue is why she was not recognized as a suicide risk and put on a protective watch.

One of the things they taught me in law school was to try to make the best use of evidence that cannot be contradicted; to take what you've got and make the most of it. When Sandra was being booked, she notified the police she had previously suffered from PTSD and had been suicidal. This alone should have put everyone on notice that she needed to be observed for her own protection. The fact she also indicated she was not suicidal at that particular moment is meaningless. No one is suicidal every minute of every day and jail is a harsh, depressing, mood-altering environment. There is a proven correlation between being confined in jail and suicide. Those in charge of jails should know this. Given all the attendant circumstances a suicide attempt was certainly a strong possibility. How Sandra got possession of a plastic bag to hang herself with is beyond me.

My personal opinion: Sandra was in jail, isolated and helpless. Her frantic calls to family and friends were futile They were either unable or unwilling to bail her out and she had no idea when she would be freed. She owed thousands of dollars in unpaid fines for multiple motor vehicle violations and may have thought she would be incarcerated a long time because of this. This is a tremendous psychological burden for anyone, and much worse for those who have PTSD with suicidal ideations. She was in jail for only three days, but that is a long time to think and despair; long enough for someone like Sandra to give up hope. The fact she felt she was arrested without cause may have contributed to her feeling of hopelessness. Her death could have been prevented by putting her on suicide watch.

I smell a lawsuit. A big one.

For those of you who would like to know more about the psychological effects of incarceration here is a link:

http://www.johnhoward.ab.ca/pub/pdf/C41.pdf

 

[The Professor]

As predicted, the Family of Sandra Bland filed a Wrongful Death lawsuit. In my humble opinion, there is no defense against the utterly pathetic indifference shown towards this woman. Those in control of her completely abandoned their duty to provide a safe environment. Her death was the natural and predictable consequence of the failure to protect her from herself, knowing that she suffered from PTSD with suicidal ideations. This one should be settled out of court.

Sandra Bland Death Family Files Wrongful-Death Suit Naming Trooper and Other Officials - NBC News

 

[MarcATL]

I believe that most people are approaching this case from the wrong direction. I would forget about trying to find the police guilty of murder. The murder of an inmate by police is such a rare occurrence that it should never warrant a presumption absent clear and convincing evidence. Besides, I am confident that the video tapes will ultimately show that no one entered Sandra's cell making such a murder impossible. The real issue is why she was not recognized as a suicide risk and put on a protective watch.

One of the things they taught me in law school was to try to make the best use of evidence that cannot be contradicted; to take what you've got and make the most of it. When Sandra was being booked, she notified the police she had previously suffered from PTSD and had been suicidal. This alone should have put everyone on notice that she needed to be observed for her own protection. The fact she also indicated she was not suicidal at that particular moment is meaningless. No one is suicidal every minute of every day and jail is a harsh, depressing, mood-altering environment. There is a proven correlation between being confined in jail and suicide. Those in charge of jails should know this. Given all the attendant circumstances a suicide attempt was certainly a strong possibility. How Sandra got possession of a plastic bag to hang herself with is beyond me.

My personal opinion: Sandra was in jail, isolated and helpless. Her frantic calls to family and friends were futile They were either unable or unwilling to bail her out and she had no idea when she would be freed. She owed thousands of dollars in unpaid fines for multiple motor vehicle violations and may have thought she would be incarcerated a long time because of this. This is a tremendous psychological burden for anyone, and much worse for those who have PTSD with suicidal ideations. She was in jail for only three days, but that is a long time to think and despair; long enough for someone like Sandra to give up hope. The fact she felt she was arrested without cause may have contributed to her feeling of hopelessness. Her death could have been prevented by putting her on suicide watch.

I smell a lawsuit. A big one.

For those of you who would like to know more about the psychological effects of incarceration here is a link:

http://www.johnhoward.ab.ca/pub/pdf/C41.pdf

Turns Out That Sandra Bland Was Absolutely Right, And, The Damn Cop Was Lying, As Usual