There is little doubt that dealing with the homeless and/or mentally ill in King County is a difficult and complex problem. However, there are certain minimum standards that must be observed in these cases – and a federal jury felt that those standards were violated when a homeless woman gave birth to her child in a jail cell without medical assistance.
On Friday, jurors found in favor of Imka Pope, who was arrested way back in November of 1997 for sleeping on a park bench. She was never given a medical exam before being placed in 23-hour lockdownin the King County jail’s psychiatric ward. Pope reportedly told correctional officers that she was in labor, but no action was taken until they heard a baby crying. The jury awarded Pope a total of $750,000 in damages.
The Most Expensive Place To Deliver A Baby - King County Jail
The county says it will appeal the verdict. Defense attorneys claim that upon her arrest, the woman did not disclose her name, was uncooperative under questioning, and never told jail officials that she was expecting. They add that Pope’s mental illness was so severe that it was impossible for jail officials to accurately assess her physical health.
Pope’s lawyers charged that staff nurses either did know or should have known that Pope was pregnant. They alleged that Pope’s constitutional right to medical care while incarcerated was violated.
The lawsuit wasn’t filed until 2007 because Pope was either living on the streets or hospitalized and also had trouble comprehending her rights. Because of these unusual circumstances, a judge extended the statute of limitations in filing this suit.
Getting head is spins from the human drama of this case? Just remember that Harborview Hospital is two blocks away and has a mental illness ward. People can be involuntarily committed if they are an imminent risk of harm to themselves or others.