Legal News

Allen Stanford on His Life in Jail: ?Conditions Are Intolerable?

By Ashby Jones

Texas Billionaire Allen Stanford on Monday filed a motion to move to a different jail, citing "oppressive" conditions at the Joe Corley Detention Facility.

Stanford is being held without bond while awaiting trial on charges that he swindled investors out of $7 billion. Originally, Stanford was granted a $500,000 bond, but U.S. District Judge David Hittner revoked it, determining the financier to be a serious flight risk.

Occasionally, we come across a filing that’s just better left to speak for itself. Such, in our opinion, is Stanford’s brief, filed by Houston attorney Dick DeGuerin. It reads:

TO THE HONORABLE JUDGE OF SAID COURT:

DEFENDANT ALLEN STANFORD, through his attorney Dick DeGuerin, brings this motion to ask the Court to immediately address oppressive jail conditions at the Joe Corley Detention Facility, respectfully showing as follows:

1. For at least a week, during the hottest part of the summer, with outside temperatures of 100 [degrees] or more, the place where Allen Stanford is being held as a pretrial detainee has had no air conditioning and for part of that time was without power altogether.

2. Allen Stanford is housed in a single cell with between eight to ten other men. For part of the time last week, they were in total darkness and so far (this motion is prepared on Sunday, July 26) the cell has been without air conditioning for at least a week. There are no windows for light or ventilation and the conditions are intolerable.

3. Allen Stanford urgently asks the Court to transfer him to the Federal Detention Center in downtown Houston run by the Bureau of Prisons and renews his request for transfer, both because of the oppressive conditions under which he is suffering, as well as the impossible conditions for preparing for his complex trial.

4. Regarding the inability of Allen Stanford to consult with his lawyers, the discovery in this case is by electronic means and none of the visiting conditions at the Joe Corley Detention Facility allow the use of electronics. Allen Stanford will be denied his constitutional right to review the evidence in his case if he is detained pretrial at the Joe Corley Detention Facility.

5. Counsel for Allen Stanford has tried to address the conditions with the Marshal’s Service and the Joe Corley Detention Facility, but thus far to no avail. See Exhibit A, a letter to United States Acting Marshal Saenz.

Respectfully Submitted,
Dick DeGuerin

On the one hand, LBers, jail isn’t meant to be a picnic. At the same time, it does sound pretty bad. 10 guys in a cell? No ventilation?

Any thoughts?

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on July 28, 2009 (boomark / email).