Bizarre, Criminal law

Colorado Sheriff Sued After Holding Deaf Man For 25 Days Due To Lack of Interpreter After Unfounded Arrest

A lawsuit has been filed against Adams County Sheriff Doug Darr that alleges a shocking mistreatment of a deaf prisoner, Timothy Siaki, who was held in jail for 25 days due to a lack of an interpreter. Siaki is deaf.

The ordeal began with someone calling police about hearing weird noises at a local motel on May 14, 2010. It was the sound of the deaf couple verbalizing sounds. Not uncommon among deaf people but the two deputies broke down the door and Siaki’s fiancé could not explain it to the officer because she is also deaf and there was not interpreter.

His lawyer, Kevin Williams, says that Siaki just sat there without knowing what he was being charged with or what was going to happen to him. Saiki cannot read or write. It is shocking that a police department could not secure an interpreter for such a common disability.

Darr is being charged with violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

According to various websites, about 2 to 4 of every 1,000 people in the United States are “functionally deaf.”

Source: MSNBC

35 thoughts on “Colorado Sheriff Sued After Holding Deaf Man For 25 Days Due To Lack of Interpreter After Unfounded Arrest”

  1. Pingback: Adams County Citizens | Your Sheriff Needs to be Fired | Grand County Uncensored

  4. “Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) emerged from the meeting — where former Vice President Dick Cheney was in attendance…”

    Cheney, again… Lucky for him that it was determined that we should “look forward”… There are things going on domestically that would horrify…, if known…

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/29/senate-votes-to-let-military-detain-americans-indefinitely_n_1119473.html

    Excerpt:

    The final vote showed bizarre fractures among Democrats, erasing the usual barriers between conservatives and liberals. The 16 who voted for the harsh detainee rules were Sens. Bob Casey (Pa.), Kent Conrad (N.D.), Kay Hagan (N.C.), Daniel Inouye (Hawaii), Herb Kohl (Wis.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Carl Levin (Mich.), Joe Manchin (W. Va.), Clair McCaskill (Mo.), Robert Menendez (N.J.), Ben Nelson (Neb.), Mark Pryor (Ark.), Jack Reed (R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.). National defense hawk and independent Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) also voted in favor of the tougher language.

    “It’s one of those things where … it’s bipartisan on both sides. Levin’s not on the same page as the White House. We’ve got our own internal differences; Paul and Kirk don’t agree with Graham,” said a senior GOP aide just before the vote. “Everybody’s trying to do the right thing. There’s just a difference of opinion.”

    Even though Paul was joined only by Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) on his side of the aisle, the issue was contentious at the Republicans’ weekly caucus lunch.

    Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) emerged from the meeting — where former Vice President Dick Cheney was in attendance — saying his colleagues had “a spirited discussion” about Udall’s amendment, and predicted nearly all Republicans would oppose the amendment, as they did. (end excerpt)

  12. Chimene-
    About 20% of the adult population in the US is functionally illiterate. These numbers are a bit higher in the Deaf population due to their piss poor education in this country. The graduates of Gallaudet University certainly aren’t illiterate, but that should be said about any college graduates.

  13. Tomdarch,

    Newt would take our money and then get a higher bid from the Koch Bros..
    Viewed from a certain perspective taking political payoffs and bribing public officials are both broadly a form of extortion, as are soliciting campaign contributions.

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