UPDATE: Anthony Swain. COVID positive. Paraplegic. Caged pretrial for 4 years. Today granted emergency hearing. Advocates & family were hopeful. Judge declined to release. Lawyers for the jail claimed he was fine. Yesterday, he was forced to sit in his own shit for 7 hours. https://twitter.com/ScottHech/status/1262396079951265792

Miami claims his treatment is sufficient bc he is in “medical isolation.” The reality: He is on lockdown in a 6x9 foot cell, by himself, that has a bed, sink, & low toilet. The first few nights, they didn’t give him a medical bed, so he got bed sores and got eaten up by ants.

The next few nights, they gave him a medical bed, but with a medical bed (which is wide), they can’t also put a bedside commode in it (which is the kind of toilet that has railings in it). So he has no toilet he can use. When he complained, guards told him to defecate on himself.

Yesterday, he was sitting in his own defecate for 7 hours, asking for help. When guards finally heard him, they told him he couldn’t shower (he needs a handicapped shower) bc they were using the handicapped shower for storage.

Advocates shared this horror in court today. Miami-Dade lawyers claimed he was lying. Advocates have recording of Mr. Swain yesterday pleading: "I'm just trying to ask you to help me w/ the bare minimum so I don't to shit on myself." Judge to county: I "hope" you look into this.

How is a paraplegic man w/ a deadly dengerative disease sitting in jail for 4 years, pre-trial, not convicted, at all?

How is a paraplegic man w/ a deadly dengerative disease sitting in jail for 4 years, pre-trial, not convicted, & now positive for COVID not released?

Anthony’s continued incarceration could cost him his life. His bond is set at $85,000, an amount that no one but the very wealthiest could afford. The only way out now: Pay bail he can't afford. His family & attorneys just set up a gofundme account: https://www.gofundme.com/f/bring-anthony-home-now

Not that it should matter, but for those asking, he has been jailed pretrial for four years on a drug offense.