County pays $1 Million for dungeon like conditions at jail
Cook County has agreed to pay a settlement to four women prisoners who were held in dungeon like conditions. They will get very little (two $5,000 and two about $140,000). The lawyers get most of the settlement. Class action was denied so all the other prisoners who suffered will get nothing. See more details here.
Cook County Jail had a policy until 2003 to lockdown female inmates from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. They were denied phone calls, exercise, any out of cell time, etc. They had difficulty getting attention of guards through heavy cell doors, for medical issues or for attacks by other detainees. There were 2 to 3 in a cell and if one woman attacked another they were not protected and the guards ignored them.
This practice ended in 2003 when this suit was filed.
Cook County jail guard delivers drugs to inmates
Cook County Jail guard arrested and jailed for taking bribe to buy and deliver drugs to an inmate.
Correctional Officer charged with stealing detainee’s cash
Authorities report they arrested Cook County Correctional Officer Tyrone McDowell Jr., 33, of Blue Island, on criminal charges alleging he was involved in $1,760 found missing from 14 detainees’ commissary accounts and the forging of detainees’ cash receipts. Ofc. McDowell’s job included collecting money from detainees newly received at the jail and providing them with a receipt. Bail was set at $50,000. McDowell had been responsible for handling money confiscated from detainees when they first entered the jail.
Charges include 11 counts of official misconduct, 10 counts of forgery and one count of theft, according to public records. Investigators found $1,760 was missing from 14 detainees when money was confiscated when they entered the jail. Auditors noticed that one of the receipts had been altered. The Sheriff’s Office of Professional Review investigated this problem. The investigation looked at the facts related to a detainee and revealed he had allegedly been issued a receipt for $500 by McDowell, but only received $200 when he was released on bail. The investigation revealed that the County’s copy of the receipt had been changed to indicate only $200 was taken from the detainee. Further investigations revealed similar situations occurred with other detainees.
Deputy Walter R Stanislavski falsely arrests Dr. Shelton
Deputy Walter R. Stanislavski, badge 10395, working at Bridgeview courthouse in room 207 on October 21, 2009, in retaliation for Dr. Shelton admonishing Deputy M. Norris, badge 10425, that Deputy Norris had illegally grabbed Dr. Shelton’s arm in the courtroom, which amounted to assault and battery, and interference with Dr. Shelton speaking up as pro se counsel, stood in front of Dr. Shelton, interfering with her properly speaking in the courtroom.
Deputy Stanislavski then purposely bumped into Dr. Shelton’s walker, falsely claiming he was preventing Shelton from approaching Judge Hyland. Then while looking at Deputy Norris said: “If you’re going to accuse Deputy Norris of assault, then I’m going to charge you with battery.”
Deputy Stanislavski has committed falsification of records, perjury, official misconduct, violation of civil rights under color of law, conspiracy to violate civil rights under color of law, and obstructed justice by interfering with pro se counsel. He obviously did this in retaliation for Dr. Shelton’s many legitimate complaints about corrupt Sheriff staff and judges. This is therefore, also felony retaliation against a federal witness.
Shelton then was fraudulently arrested for simple battery with Deputy Stanislavski lying and stating that Dr. Shelton attacked him with her walker. He obviously produced a falsified arrest and/or incident report.
Excessive bail was set at $50,000 despite the fact that Shelton is indigent, on food stamps, and on SSI by a corrupt judge.
The entire incident is written in great detail on Shelton’s other blog: cookcountyjudges.wordpress.com.
More Threats by Sheriff Officers Against Dr. Shelton
This e-mail has been sent to the FBI:
The following are more threats against me (a potential federal witness against the Cook County Sheriff staff) for my whistle blowing as I have given your office a LOT of evidence against corrupt sheriff deputies. You still fail to protect me. I have been illegally arrested by the Sheriff on bogus and fabricated charges another five times in the last 5 months. I already sent you info about several of these incidents. You can read about it on my blogs: http://chicagofbi.wordpress.com and https://cookcountysheriffdeputies.wordpress.com .
I don’t understand why the US Atty has not issued arrest warrants for
Sheriff Dart, many supervisors and officers at CCDOC for threatening a witness, for murder which you have documented, for felony violation of civil rights, for conspiracy to cover-up civil rights violations, etc., etc.
You still have not arrested the parole agent and her supervisors where I gave you undisputed evidence that she fabricated her records on me (a wrongfully convicted person – due to perjury of the sheriff officer) and then had issued a fraudulent arrest warrant.
I was recently hired by an internet news agency as a reporter. I vow to get out this information about the failure of the FBI and US Atty to do their jobs, as well as the pervasive corruption at CCDOC.
Please note I have severe uncontrolled asthma with laryngospasm. If I am sprayed with pepper spray I could die and they know it.
This was taken from the web site: cookcountyjail.com
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Linda you are a crazy bitch that smell like sewage. Next time dont wear pants in jail with a shit stain showing. Next time I see you in my jail you will be sprayed with pepper spray, arrested and ill have my guys in ert transfer you to jefferson county.
Thanks for voting! (Score 2 yes, 0 no) Permanent Link
SuptMonday, September 28, 2009
[reply]
Another fine example of the sadistic, vulgar, and criminal supervisors known as CCDOC Superintendants, Lieutenants, and Sargeants. Sheriff Dart, you’re doing a wonderful job!
Thanks for voting! (Score 1 yes, 0 no) LindaMonday, September 28, 2009
[reply]
Linda whens the last time you had sex? Ill give ya some dick as it seems you need some.
Thanks for voting! (Score 1 yes, 0 no) Permanent Link
BryantMonday, September 28, 2009 [probably an officer]
[reply]
Another fine example of the character of CCDOC officers. Sheriff Dart we love ya!
Thanks for voting! (Score 1 yes, 0 no) Linda
Tuesday, September 28, 2009
[reply]
Cook County Correctional Officer Jacob Cano Shot in Robbery
Cook County Correctional Officer Jacob Cano was wounded in a shooting during a robbery, September 23, 2009, when leaving his home in the 4600 block of West 82nd Street when men approached and tried to rob him, according to Cook County Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Patterson. Ofc. Cano was apparently stabilized before being transported to hospital after being shot in the back. He apparently was conscious after being shot. He works in Division 1 at the Cook County Jail.
Update 9/26/09 – It is reported he is in an ICU in serious but stable condition. Sounds like he’ll be OK.
Oppose Re-Election of Sheriff Dart
I oppose the re-election of Sheriff Dart. I have given him evidence of perjury by several of his deputies, battery and medical neglect at the jail resulting in disability and death, violation of law by officials and guards at CCDOC – with many SERIOUS civil rights violations. He has done nothing about this. He is covering-up corruption.
I have turned over much evidence to the FBI and posted it on my blogs:
http://chicagofbi.wordpress.com/ ,
http://illinoiscorruption.blogspot.com/ and this site
https://cookcountysheriffdeputies.wordpress.com/.
We need a new Sheriff who will cut out waste, fraud and patronage, improve training and oversight of deputies, clean up the hygiene problems, medical neglect, and abuse at the jail (the hygiene in the visiting areas is so poor it will likely greatly add to the H1N1 epidemic), and respond one-on-one in a transparent manner to complaints.
Sheriff Dart has always like his predecessor REFUSED to meet with me. He should prove me wrong and meet with me in the presence of reporters so I can present to him hard evidence of what I am saying.
Proposal for Sgt. Salemi Who Attacked Dr Linda Shelton – Forgiveness, Confession
See my appeal that gives details of his perjury and proof I am innocent and Sgt Anthony Salemi is guilty of perjury, obstruction of justice for falsifying records, official misconduct, violation of civil rights under color of law, aggravated battery of a handicapped person, etc.: appeal brief
Sgt. Anthony Salemi. You eventually will be arrested because you said, “I’m going to make a case so you don’t get out,” and then attacked me by grabbing by the neck and flipping me out of my wheelchair while forcibly and brutally pulling the wheelchair out from under me.
My faith teaches that I should forgive those that hurt me and defame me. I should thank you because you have made me stronger:
Living in a Grateful World
Be grateful to those who have hurt or harmed you,
for they have enforced your determination.
Be grateful to those who have deceived you,
for they have deepened your insight.
Be grateful to those who have hit you,
for they have reduced your karmic obstacles.
Be grateful to those who have abandoned you,
for they have taught you to be independent.
Be grateful to those who have made you stumble,
for they have strengthened your ability.
Be grateful to those who have denounced you,
for they have increased your wisdom and concentration.
Be grateful to those who have made you firm and resolute
and helped in your achievement.
– The Venerable Master Chin Kung
I propose that you come with me to the FBI and admit your guilty. I will support leniency and no jail time. You will have guilt lifted from your shoulders.
We should both together advocate for a “Truth Commission” where all those who are corrupt in Illinois, including politicians and police, who ADMIT their guilt fully are granted full immunity so that the air is cleared, we can wipe out corruption, and we can move on. You then will ask the States Attorney to drop the charges against me and the court to vacate the conviction.
We can then work as a team together to not just expose and eliminate corruption, but to push legislature to change criminal statutes so that there is more restorative justice and rehabilitation, so that officers are better trained, so that the jail population is vastly decreased, so that non-violent persons get more I-Bonds, so that officers have better working conditions and supervision, so that corrupt politicians are removed from office, so that officers are more respected and less corrupt, so that prisoners are not abused, and so that we live in a better world.
Sheriff Deputies Assault Dr. Shelton – Interfere with Service IL Supreme Court Documents
I was going to the Daley Center to serve IL SUPREME COURT process, copies of motions for supervisory orders to Judge Maddux, Judge Evans, Dorothy Brown, etc., regarding their RICO violations. When I entered through security, AFTER I had successfully passed through security, a deputy, Angela Dobson badge 11196, grabbed my walker and wouldn’t let me proceed upstairs. I clearly stated loudly so everyone could hear me “stop assaulting me”. Legally this is an assault and battery, because unwanted touching of even an extension of a person (in this case my walker which I use due to a partial right hemiparesis, spinal cord injury, and loss of balance) is battery. The deputy stated I had to wait for an escort. The Sheriff staff had been harassing me for more than three (3) months every time I came in the Daley Center saying I had to be “escorted” but refusing to provide any written order for such or reason for doing so.
In retaliation for my whistle blowing, in that I have turned over evidence of criminal acts by Sheriff staff, the Sheriff courtroom services have been illegally stating that I have to be “escorted” around the Daley Center, when I go there for any reason. This is felony harassment of a federal witness, as I have turned over evidence of criminal conduct of Sheriff Dart, Sheriff Sheahan, and Sheriff staff to the FBI. It is also official misconduct, felony violation of civil rights under color of law, felony conspiracy to violate rights under color of law, felony retaliation against a witness, felony interference with the exercise of constitutional rights, felony theft of honest services, excessive force, assault and battery, maybe violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and maybe even felony sedicious conspiracy against the United States.
I stated there was no order for an escort. I demanded written proof of an order and of course they didn’t produce any. They have never produced any. I clearly stated to all the deputies surrounding me that they were committing a federal felony crime – harassment of a federal witness against Sheriff staff, official misconduct, violation of civil rights under color of law, conspiracy to violate civil rights, etc., and were committing the Illinois crimes of interference with service of process and assault and battery. I told them all they would be sued and have to explain their criminal acts to a federal judge. I repeatedly told this to every officer who followed me or harassed me since this harassment began months ago.
I told them they were causing a disturbance, being disorderly, and interfering with my legitimate business in the building. A deputy said I had to leave the building because I was causing a disturbance. I told them no I don’t have to leave the building and they had no authority to assault me, harass me, make a scene, and then order me to leave the building. This is entrapment, defamation, and assault and battery. They then grabbed me. I thought they were forcibly going to throw me out of the building – which they have done before.
I did verbally continually protest. They simply grabbed my walker away from me and grabbed me, handcuffed me, and I continually said I would not condone their criminal acts of assault and battery, etc. As they were grabbing me and handcuffing me, they said that I was under arrest. They took me down to the lock-up. I refused to sign any documents except for the bond slip and refused to answer any of their questions. I continually told them I would kick their ass legally in federal court with suits for their misconduct.
Many deputies and members of the public, including lawyers, witnessed the assault on me on the first floor between the West side security entrance and the elevators. Ed Carik, “security for the Daley Center” working for “NB Real Estate” came up to me as I was being assaulted and said that I had to do whatever the deputies told me including leave the building. I said “who are you” and he stated the above. I told him I don’t have to follow illegal orders of the deputies and submit to assault.
In the lock-up the deputies put me in a cell and searched me and assisted me in using the facilities because I was dizzy and had trouble getting up from sitting. I have had increasing difficulty with dizziness lately due to neurological disorder and after this incident have changed my medications and I’m doing a little better. I was becoming overheated (I’m also having a lot of trouble lately with hot flashes – I had to stop hormonal therapy for this because of the danger of it inducing the hemiplegic migraines I suffer from which can lead to stroke) even though there was a fan outside the cell and they were quite rude in not giving me water to drink except for a tiny cup of water. The fountain in the cell sink didn’t work well. Deputy Soto 11086 was there as she is the lock-up officer and had seen me go down there before and called an ambulance in the past. She had poured cold water on me at my request in the past when I got overheated and was passing out. Other deputies whose names I don’t know were there .
Sgt. Griffin, badge number 1048, came to the door of the cell. A deputy was sitting between me and Griffin. Griffin, astout fat black woman was being nasty as usual. She always has a smile with a smerk. She has a sadistic streak in her personality and will exagerate and make up false statements whenever possible. I told her the arrest was unlawful, they were committing crimes as I detailed to her the same as what I said above, and that she would have a lot of explaining to do in federal court. I said I would “kick her ass in federal court” and she would be held accountable by the court. She immediately said, “now I got you on assault” and I immediately responded “no I didn’t assault you, I’m telling you the truth that you will be in trouble in federal court because I will legally kick your ass.”
In the lock-up it was rather warm and they were using a fan. They handcuffed me in front and put me in the back of a squad car in the basement to transport me to the Maywood Sheriff’s lock-up for processing. The squad car must have been sitting outside during this very hot day as the back seat was like an oven. With the plastic shield between the front and back and only a little screen opening between them, I was getting very little air conditioning. I don’t sweat much because of congenital nerve injuries. This causes a life-threatening condition where I easily get heat exhaustion and then heat stroke. I also have a serious fainting problem where I go into cardiac arrest for up to 60 seconds and a problem with flashbacks (post-traumatic-stress disorder) when I feel I am suffocating (I was previously attacked, tied down, and suffocated). This made me overheat along with having a hot flash. I became very anxious and panicked thinking I was suffocating, pleading and crying that I could not tolerate this and could pass out and go into cardiac arrest (which has happened in the past). I removed as many clothes as possible in a panic because Iwas so hot and feeling like I was suffocating.
I unsuccessfully tried my best to meditate through this and remain calm, trying to think about the advice given to me by a psychiatrist during treatment for PTSD. During a flashback, a person is in an altered state of consiousness, like a dream, reliving the life-threatening and terrorizing incident that induced the PTSD. I started going into flashbacks where I though I was suffocating and ripped off my clothes. I was so extremely panicked and anxious that I got out of the handcuffs. I screamed that I couldn’t breath and was short of breath. I screamed repeatedly – “help me, help me, I can’t tolerate this, I have medical problems, I can’t breathe”. Then during periods of being a little lucid I cried and screamed to please poor cold water on me, that I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The deputies in the car, a man and woman, were verbally very abusive and didn’t help at all, but did not drive off and instead went and got a supervisor.
Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition where you can’t control your temperature and it starts going up, you stop sweating and you die. It is preceded by heat exhaustion. People who take certain medications that interfere with sweating or who have spinal cord injuries like I do cannot sweat well and go into heat stroke more easily. The person starts feeling nauseated, uncomfortable, like they are smothering, and is very uncomfortable in indescribable ways. Imagine feeling you are sealed in a hot coffin with no air and you are dying. The ER report from Northwestern shows that AFTER cold water was poured on me, AFTER I was transported to the ER by ambulance, AFTER I was in the air-conditioned ER for three hours, my temperature was 100.9 (fever) – obviously it was likely much higher prior to this point in time. This was absolute medical neglect to not admit me and give me lots of cool fluids to drink, even involuntarily if necessary as there was a danger this was heat stroke or the deadly neuroleptic malignant syndrome. This is absolute proof I was suffering early heat stroke and this was very dangerous. Unfortunately the ER docs were jerks, injected me with psychotropic drugs assuming I was crazy, didn’t treat anything, and released me even with a fever – the drugs making me even more anxious, dizzy, and confused. I am suing Northwestern for medical battery and for willful indifference to medical needs in aiding and abetting the abuse by the Sheriff.
Besides heat stroke, which can have serious complications including death, and requires admission – usually to the ICU – for at least observation, Haldol® has a serious complication called neuroleptic malignant syndrome, which is a hypermetabolic state that kills 30 % of its victims. The symptoms are fever after injection, high pulse, respiratory rate and blood pressure, confusion, agitation, increased white cell count, muscle rigidity. I had all these symptoms except muscle rigidity. The drugs didn’t sedate me but caused increased agitation.
Deputy Soto came out and let me dangle my legs out of the car and poured several glasses of cold water over me which got me back into reality and I clung on to her and cried and asked her to protect me because I didn’t want to pass out, while they applied a belly chain, stating that a belly chain made the feeling worse as I couldn’t push my hands out in front to prop my shoulders up, and told her I had flashbacks. Then they took me back into the lock-up cell, allowed me to get dressed and poured more water on me. Finally they took me to Northwestern by ambulance telling them FALSELY that I was crazy, attacked an officer and a paramedic, was spitting on everyone, and was arrested because I refused to be escorted in the Daley Center and had a history of serious mental illness. The only mental illness I ever suffered from was PTSD induced by attacks on me and mild depression. Their statements were grossly defamatory.
(People in respiratory distress “tripod” in that they feel compelled to put their hands in front against something so that they can push their shoulders up, elevating the top of the lungs, which increases lung volume and makes them feel less short of breath. Asthmatics have to do this during an asthma attack – they have to lean forward and push shoulders up or they feel like they are smothering)
In the ambulance, I was in and out of flashbacks, really freaking out by this time due to feelings of suffocation, overheating, and feeling like I was dying, while being forced to sit back while fully restrained. I went completely out not knowing where I was and in kind of a shock like state several times, several times I remember seeing (in a dream like state) a former attacker, Sgt. Anthony Salemi, attack me and choke me (I realized these were flashbacks after I came out of it). I apparently was violently struggling to sit up and get out of the handcuffs (probably to lean forward and tripod) like a FOX chewing his leg off to get out of the trap as a last resort to save life. I’m surprised my hands were not more damaged – just a lot of bruising and a scrapes.
At the Northwestern Memorial Hospital ER I wouldn’t let anyone do anything, was screaming to “get off of me and don’t touch me” per the ER report. They injected me with Haldol® and Ativan® (psychotropic drugs used to sedate people and as a chemical strait jacket) which made me go into mild respiratory distress and become more agitated and dis-inhibited. Haldol® is contraindicated in people with laryngospasm like me – I have a severe asthma condition due to an accident where I was overcome by gasoline fumes. (I have adverse and paradoxical reactions to these drugs previously documented by them in a previous episode of medical battery and violation of mental health laws, when I didn’t need sedation, was wrongfully defamed by police, and which has resulted in a pending suit against Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Northwestern has this in their computer under my name.) I started acting in self-defense by stating I would “tear up the hospital” and began pushing on the bed rails trying to break them and tearing up the sheets and anything on the bed despite being handcuffed. I was “moving all around the bed” in a very agitated and panicked irrational state due to the affects of the illegally injected drugs which dis-inhibit a person and due to the flashbacks of being attacked and choked.
I refused to let them put an oxygen mask on me or treat me with a nebulized medication as I was in my mind fighting off being choked and suffocated. Every time they came at me with a mask if felt like Sgt. Salemi was choking me. I cried and kept pleading with them to let my hands loose enough so that I could lean forward and tripod. I was terrorized badly. They refused and just changed the cuffs to full medical restraints tightly tied to the bed. They refused to instruct the officers to release my hands except for handcuffing one to a railing, as is normally done with prisoners in ERs. They violated the mental health laws in being so aggressive with me instead of backing off and asking what the problem was and what I needed, or listening to my pleas that I had to put my hands in front of me and tripod, or simply as the law required put me into a secure seclusion room prior to trying restraints or drugs to calm me down. They did nothing except forcibly tightly tie me down, attack me with injections of psychotropic drugs, and draw blood, and then released me 3 hours later back to the Sheriff’s custody. Medical personal are not legally allowed to give forced injections of drugs or tie a person down unless they are an IMMEDIATE danger to their own life or to other’s lives. Delusions, uncooperativeness, screaming, arguing, are not legal reasons to do this. Medical personnel, by law, are required to try secluding a person in a safe room, to allow the person to call family members and a lawyer, to give a person fluids and food as needed, to allow a person to use a bathroom as needed, and obtain consent from a person before giving them drugs, unless they are an IMMEDIATE, REAL, and APPARENT danger to themselves or others. I clearly did not meet these criteria, and if they had given me cool water, allowed me to tripod, and simply backed-off and listened to me, instead of ignoring my concerns and treating me like an excapee form a mental hospital with disgust, disdain, and arrogance.
It is grotesque and unethical for ER personnel to only listen to officers who have no more than a high school education and a few months of training, concerning a patient’s medical history, behavior, and symptoms, while ignoring the patient. Officers are very biased against prisoners, especially prisoners who have been unlawfully arrested and are federal witnesses agaisnt the criminal conduct of their colleagues.
The deputies then transported me by squad car to the Maywood Sheriff’s lock-up for processing and eventual release. There I was processed and released and I took a taxi to the Grant Park garage. This was crazy as I was suffering complications of Haldol® and Ativan® including agitation, akathisia (a sense of having to keep moving – can’t sit or lay down except for short times). It was dangerous for me to drive as by then I was very dizzy having not taken my medications (felt like sea sick with intense vertigo) and was a bit confused and unable to think real clearly due to the illegally given drugs. I got home and the home health aide who helps me take care of my Dad, and Dad noticed my odd behavior of walking around and not able to sit long, flopping down onto the floor dizzy on and off, unable to think clearly, agitated and panicked. Eventually I remembered that Benadryl® was an antidote to the Haldol® complications and the aide went to the store and got some. I had to take it for several days to control the complications, and it made me drowsy. The aide and Dad had to keep asking me not to go anywhere or drive because it was dangerous. It was very negligent of Northwestern to inject me with such drugs and then release me so that I could drive alone. People given powerful sedatives should not be left alone for the next day or so.
I called the next day to the lock-up and told Soto or another lady who answered that my IL Supreme Court documents had not been returned to me. She said she would look for them. I later received a call that they were found.
A friend later called Lt. Prescott 512 and complained that I was being followed around the building illegally and that my IL Supreme Court documents had not been returned to me. Lt. Prescott said they would no longer follow me and I should return and pick up my documents. A few days later I went and got the documents from her and then served them on the judges and Dorothy Brown. Lt. Prescott confirmed they were no longer going to follow me around or prohibit me from entering the building. She confirmed that there were no written orders to follow me around the building.
I have now been charged with resisting arrest, trespass to state supported land, disorderly conduct, and Assault. Anyone who wishes to help me and support me can donate funds to pay for legal fees at: Shelton legal fund, Albukerk & Associates, 3025 W 26th St. 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60625 or can e-mail me for dates and time of court hearings and trial at: picepil@aol.com. The FBI is being informed and I will file a civil rights suit for unlawful arrest, malicious prosecution, assault and battery, emotional distress, etc. I will also file a suit against Northwestern Memorial Hospital for medical battery, aiding will indifference to medical need, violation of civil rights (1983 civil rights action), violation of mental health laws (per se negligence), etc. Next Court hearing is at 555 W. Harrison, courtroom 304, at 1:30 pm on September 21, 2009. This is a pre-trial status hearing.