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Meghan Marino - DJJ
Probation Officer Complaint 05/15/08 Marino did not report the incident to the proper authorities within two hours 05/15/08 McCausland did not conduct required 10-minute cell checks during incident and then falsified forms to show he did. Click here for original complaint. Correspondence From:
Elisa.Watson@djj.state.fl.us> Please see the response form the IG office. Thanks, Elisa B. Watson, Public Information Officer -----Original Message----- There are two numbers associated with the incident
2008-03012 and 2008-03013. -----Original Message----- Hi Lisa, Please see the request below and provide the requested number. Thanks, Elisa B. Watson, Public Information Officer -----Original Message----- From: cathycorry@juno.com [mailto:cathycorry@juno.com] Elisa, Please provide to me the CCC/IG# for 5/14-5/15/08 supervision lapse in Collier County Juvenile Assessment Center. Cathy Corry - www.Justice4Kids.org http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/21/state-county-probing-teens-beating-supervision-col/ Naples Daily News A 14-year-old boy was beaten by two teens inside the Collier County Juvenile Assessment Center while surveillance cameras taped the 69-minute assault that wasn't spotted by guards required to patrol cells every 10 minutes. The state Department of Juvenile Justice, which operates the center at the Collier County Government Complex on U.S. 41, is conducting an administrative review of the incident, DJJ spokeswoman Samadhi Jones said Wednesday. "Based on the findings, the department will take appropriate action," Jones said. "... The secretary of DJJ, Secretary (Frank) Peterman, is adamant about protecting children and DJJ will work with the Collier County Sheriff's Office to make sure that this doesn't happen again." Reports say repeated assaults occurred between 11:37 p.m. May 14 and 12:46 a.m. May 15, when two Golden Gate boys, ages 15 and 17, slapped, kicked and pushed the 14-year-old and forced him to lick the floor after the suspects appeared to urinate or spit on it. The younger boy also was forced to slap himself until he bled, reports say, and to wash his face in the toilet and lick the toilet several times. At a juvenile detention hearing Saturday, County Judge Mike Carr grew angry as he read the reports, saying he was sending the suspects' files to State Attorney General Bill McCollum for an investigation. Carr, who noted both boys had violent criminal pasts, characterized their criminal records as "extensive" in a May 19 letter obtained by the Daily News. "As loathsome as the conduct that's alleged by the juvenile, the fact that authorities that are getting paid by the taxpayers, the citizens of Florida, to protect the juveniles in custody apparently are unwilling or unable to do their jobs is of grave concern to the court," Carr said during the taped hearing. "I'm going to figure out why, why people in custody here are being treated in this manner with no safety while they're in the care of - in the care of - our authorities. "This is disgusting. It is loathsome, it is unacceptable," Carr continued. It could not be immediately determined whether the Department of Juvenile Justice or Collier County Sheriff's Office employees watch the video monitors, but Sheriff's Office employees are in charge of patrolling the cells every 10 minutes and writing their observations in a logbook. "We're trying to find out what happened and how it came to happen," said Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Karie Partington. "Everybody is looking at this situation. "The camera was covered for about 30 seconds," she said, adding that the boy was questioned about whether anything sexual occurred while it was covered and he denied it. She said the log books, and whether checks were recorded during that period, would be part of the investigation. By law, faking those records could result in criminal charges of falsification of public records. Joshua Richard Tirado, 17, of 4348 19th Place SW, Golden Gate, is charged with battery by a person detained in jail and resisting arrest, and Tyler "T-Boy" Joseph Murphy, now 16, of 5100 19th Ave. SW, Golden Gate, is charged with battery with a prior conviction or second offense, according to a sheriff's report. Because the investigation is continuing into what was videotaped or concealed, the victim's name is being withheld by the Daily News. A sheriff's report by Cpl. Dave Shreeve provides this account: A juvenile detainee told him the two juveniles in a holding cell with him said they would hit him if he didn't do what they said. He said they made him lick the floor and toilet, hit him in the face "a couple of times" and made him do push-ups. He said the main aggressor was the teen who took off his shirt. He wanted to press charges and provided a sworn statement. Shreeve identified Murphy as a juvenile being held for a violation of probation, while Tirado was released to a parent or guardian shortly after the incident - only to be picked up after this investigation. Shreeve then reviewed the video tape, which showed the two juveniles committing battery "on several occasions" by slapping, kicking and pushing the younger boy in the holding cell. Another investigator is reviewing possible additional charges due to what the video showed. However, the victim denied any sexual contact while the camera was covered by one boy's T-shirt. Deputies located Tirado and his father brought him in. Tirado became agitated, made fists, tensed, refused to cooperate and appeared to be ready to swing at deputies, reports say. When he moved his feet, as if to start a fight, Shreeve fired a Taser at his chest and torso, causing the teen to hit the ground. While behind bars, he cursed at his father. At the hearing, an unidentified juvenile justice intake officer recommended that Murphy be held for 21 days in secured detention "with absolutely no contact with the victim." Carr admonished Tirado for being hostile and resisting arrest. The judge asked the juvenile justice officer who monitors the juveniles' cells about the incident. She was uncertain who watched the surveillance cameras, but said a county deputy checks cells every 10 minutes. That angered Carr. "I hope the local authorities, whoever they may be, find the time in their busy day to look into this and see this doesn't occur again and get to the bottom of how it is possible for someone to be on camera, have the camera ignored, and have this kind of multiple assault for long periods of time go on without someone noticing it," Carr said. "This is disgusting." Carr also asked Assistant State Attorney D.J. Miller, the prosecutor, "what it takes" to charge the juveniles as adults, noting that both have a "very violent past" and if found guilty, the charges should result in very long sanctions. Miller said he'd speak to his supervisor, Assistant State Attorney Mara Marzano. Carr asked him to give her the taped evidence and added: "I don't want anything to be missed." If prosecuted as adults, the third-degree felonies are punishable by a maximum of five years in a state prison. The resisting charge is a first-degree misdemeanor.
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