“DENIED SHOWER ACCESS”
by Sharon Rondeau
(Jan.2, 2012) — A visitor to the Monroe County jail on New Year’s Day reported the following:
Walt looked and talked fine. He gets daily treatment and monitoring from the contract nurses who work for the jail. He is also getting a low glycemic diet, amazingly. He has spent very few days solo in Cell 9. He asked that a point be made, which I concur with, that the folks in the trenches are decent and caring. The problem with the “system” in Monroe County is with the gargoyles in charge. If there are any write ups, nurses Shelly and Emily should be mentioned by name.
Further . . Walt has been shuttled around, again, to Louden County and back, and to different cells in the Monroe County jail. In the process of all that, I have no idea why, he was denied shower access. So, yesterday, 24 days after his arrest, the nurses ordered the jail to allow him to shower, for health reasons. The inmates in that cell must ask for shower privileges. If the jailer is not allowed to grant it, the inmate is denied.
The reason for the shuffling around is to avoid the harassment that the Sheriffs Department receives from folks calling in. It is important to continue calling the SO, if for no other reason than to inquire about Walt’s health. The more visible the SO thinks he is, the safer he will be.
Walt has received no packages, it is not allowed. He has $25 in his commissary account and is now looking for $20 more that was left this week.. He receives first class mail and mail marked legal paperwork. Most importantly, he is also allowed to receive books.
A hearing will be held on the 10th at 1300 hrs.
On December 7, 2011, Fitzpatrick was arrested and his home searched for “government documents” which he was allegedly caught on video camera removing from the courtroom. A second alleged reason for his rearrest was that “someone” had miscalculated the length of time he should have served upon his arrest on September 23, 2011.
Prior to his December 3, 2011 release, Fitzpatrick had been offered a “deal” to entice him not to describe conditions within the jail and other observations with, presumably, The Post & Email, among others. After his release, Fitzpatrick had told The Post & Email in regard to his stay in solitary confinement that “There were people removed from that cell because they couldn’t handle it. It was not fun.”
Fitzpatrick has described the conditions within the Monroe County as “medieval.”
His original arrest on April 1, 2010, arose from his attempt to place Gary Pettway, acting foreman of the Monroe County grand jury, under citizen’s arrest for over-serving his term in violation of TCA 22-2-314. It was later found that Pettway was never properly appointed nor sworn in. His having signed indictments over at least a 27-year period has raised a question as to their validity.
Ms. Laura Click of the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts told The Post & Email that grand jury foremen are routinely appointed by judges and serve consecutive terms, sometimes for decades, but the law makes no distinction between a “juror” and the foreman. Rule 6 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure states that “the foreperson shall possess all the qualifications of a juror,” which presumably would preclude him or her from having served as a juror during the preceding 24 months, as stated in TCA-22-2-314.
Click never responded to our question about reporting that the grand jury foreman had never been sworn in.
Recently a concerned citizen had written to Fitzpatrick and sent a package of food which, based on the above report, was not delivered to him.
A low-glycemic diet limits carbohydrates so as to keep blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible. The glycemic index rates foods as to their carbohydrate content and suitability for diabetics, who have trouble assimilating carbohydrates. Foods such as potatoes, white breads, baked goods and cereals tend to have a high glycmic index.
The HA1c is a blood test normally ordered for diabetics every three months to determine how much sugar has adhered to red blood cells since red blood cells live for about that length of time. In a person without diabetes or pre-diabetes, such a test would result in a reading of between 4.0 and 5.9%. Someone known to have diabetes would most likely obtain a result of 7.0% or higher. Sugar combined with red blood cells is termed “glycated.”
It is particularly important for people with diabetes to practice good hygiene, as their higher blood sugar levels make them more susceptible to infection. One source states that ” Intact skin is the body’s first line of defense against germs” and “Keeping your skin clean is essential to the health of skin.”
“Warning signs” of possible infection are foot ulcers, bumps and boils on the skin. Infections can begin if bacteria enter a scratch or cut. “Keeping skin clean and dry, but not too dry, is key to good diabetic skin care.”