I've always wondered whether the attorney client rooms in the jail were really private. Of course "they" say the rooms are not monitored, and allegedly the phone calls to attorney's are not monitored either. But my paranoia of big brother has never been alleviated - UNTIL NOW.
An investigator with the Public Defender's Office was using the private rooms to have SEX WITH HER BOYFRIEND who is an inmate.(Tywan Armstrong who has a ridiculously long record and has been in the Pinellas County Jail since last January - I sincerely hope she didn't meet him there) It took jail officials 2 months to figure this out. With this in mind, the rooms are clearly not monitored. But they probably will be now. For those of you that have never been in the Pinellas County Jail, only attorney's, doctor's, or other jail personal are allowed into the interview rooms. If you are visiting an inmate, you go to a trailer across the street and watch your friend on a video screen. They stay in the jail. There are no in-person visits. And for the 100th time - THOSE VISITS ARE TAPED AND MONITORED. I am 100% sure of it.
When someone in custody hires me, my first line of attack is to get them out. I NEVER want to talk about the facts of the crime while they're in jail, because I'm afraid someone is listening. If you look up at the ceiling in the attorney/client rooms, there is a camera. Who knows if it has sound? I guess it's not on because this lady was able to get away with HAVING SEX with her boyfriend. Yuck - the jail is dirty. Here's a picture from Hillsborough County Jail - the interview rooms in Pinellas don't look this good.
So what was the lady charged with? Good question, she hasn't been yet. The media reported that she was "charged" with one count of offical misconduct which is a 3rd degree felony. But read the FL Statute
838.022 Official misconduct.--
(1) It is unlawful for a public servant, with corrupt intent to obtain a benefit for any person or to cause harm to another, to:
(a) Falsify, or cause another person to falsify, any official record or official document;
(b) Conceal, cover up, destroy, mutilate, or alter any official record or official document or cause another person to perform such an act; or
(c) Obstruct, delay, or prevent the communication of information relating to the commission of a felony that directly involves or affects the public agency or public entity served by the public servant.
(2) For the purposes of this section:
(a) The term "public servant" does not include a candidate who does not otherwise qualify as a public servant.
(b) An official record or official document includes only public records.
(3) Any person who violates this section commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
I don't think it fits - it seems the Legislature never contemplated such a mess . . . .
