TruthOut10
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- Dec 3, 2012
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When Glennese Smith Scott, 33, of Natchez, Mississippi reported deputies at the Adams County Jail for mistreatment of inmates in 2003, she was speaking out against injustice and trying to raise awareness of the inhumane conditions that many African-American inmates face in a legal system riddled with racial disparities.
But in trying to give voice to the voiceless in a small town arguably still entrenched Mississippis Good ole Boy system, Scott claims that she found herself simultaneously cast as criminal and victim to one of the most heart-wrenching tragedies that can befall a woman and has been met with a brick wall of silence and bureaucracy ever since.
On November 2, 2003, she was allegedly told by law enforcement officers that she was a fugitive from justice stemming from a shoplifting charge in Louisiana and subsequently arrested and detained for seventeen days by the Adams County Sheriffs Department.
Complaining of feeling ill to officers on duty, and eventually writing a letter to the captain on duty explaining that she might be pregnant, Scott says that she was consistently ignored and forced to suffer behind bars for weeks. It wasnt until November 18, 2003, the day that Scott claims to have fallen unconscious after complaining of dizziness and weakness, that the Adams County Sheriffs Department was forced to pay attention.
But her nightmare was just beginning.
When I came to I was being handcuffed and my ankles were in restraints, Scott recalls in a haunted voice throbbing with anger. And I was driven by deputies in a police car to Natchez Regional Medical Center.
During my visit to the emergency room, I found out that I was in fact pregnant with twins and I was told that I was threatening a miscarriage and I had a urinary tract infection. I was later released from the hospital back to the Adams County Sheriffs Department. I was told a couple hours after returning to the jail that I was free to go home.
On December 2, 2003, less than two weeks of being released from the jail I miscarried both babies one on the way to the hospital and the other at the hospital.
While working to mend her reputation, left in tatters after the false fugitive charges were published in the local newspaper, Scott has never stopped seeking justice for herself and for her unborn children. But the road, paved with racism and cronyism, has not been easy.
For close to 10 years, Scott navigated through a revolving door of attorneys balanced precariously on the slow-moving wheels of justice. She claims that one firm even stated that it was a conflict of interest with the state of Mississippi for them to handle her case. It seemed as if all hope was lost until Attorney Martin Perkins of Jackson, MS, agreed to take her on as a client. Perkins immediately filed the appropriate documentation and got a trial date set for September 16, 2013; but earlier this month, he received an unexpected letter and the events that followed may have damaged an already fragile case.
Miss. Woman?s Lawsuit Claims Police Revenge Led to Miscarriage of Twins | Techyville
But in trying to give voice to the voiceless in a small town arguably still entrenched Mississippis Good ole Boy system, Scott claims that she found herself simultaneously cast as criminal and victim to one of the most heart-wrenching tragedies that can befall a woman and has been met with a brick wall of silence and bureaucracy ever since.
On November 2, 2003, she was allegedly told by law enforcement officers that she was a fugitive from justice stemming from a shoplifting charge in Louisiana and subsequently arrested and detained for seventeen days by the Adams County Sheriffs Department.
Complaining of feeling ill to officers on duty, and eventually writing a letter to the captain on duty explaining that she might be pregnant, Scott says that she was consistently ignored and forced to suffer behind bars for weeks. It wasnt until November 18, 2003, the day that Scott claims to have fallen unconscious after complaining of dizziness and weakness, that the Adams County Sheriffs Department was forced to pay attention.
But her nightmare was just beginning.
When I came to I was being handcuffed and my ankles were in restraints, Scott recalls in a haunted voice throbbing with anger. And I was driven by deputies in a police car to Natchez Regional Medical Center.
During my visit to the emergency room, I found out that I was in fact pregnant with twins and I was told that I was threatening a miscarriage and I had a urinary tract infection. I was later released from the hospital back to the Adams County Sheriffs Department. I was told a couple hours after returning to the jail that I was free to go home.
On December 2, 2003, less than two weeks of being released from the jail I miscarried both babies one on the way to the hospital and the other at the hospital.
While working to mend her reputation, left in tatters after the false fugitive charges were published in the local newspaper, Scott has never stopped seeking justice for herself and for her unborn children. But the road, paved with racism and cronyism, has not been easy.
For close to 10 years, Scott navigated through a revolving door of attorneys balanced precariously on the slow-moving wheels of justice. She claims that one firm even stated that it was a conflict of interest with the state of Mississippi for them to handle her case. It seemed as if all hope was lost until Attorney Martin Perkins of Jackson, MS, agreed to take her on as a client. Perkins immediately filed the appropriate documentation and got a trial date set for September 16, 2013; but earlier this month, he received an unexpected letter and the events that followed may have damaged an already fragile case.
Miss. Woman?s Lawsuit Claims Police Revenge Led to Miscarriage of Twins | Techyville
