Medical examiner who blamed boot camp death on anemia...says medical community giving support.

[madfloridian]

I find this alarming. I find it odd that this same medical examiner was given haven in Bay County where the trial is going on for the guards who beat the kid while the nurse stood by. He has the support of the Bay County State Attorney.

Th trail has begun against the guards, the jury has no representation from the black community. There are rallies outside the court. I share the sentiments of those gathered there and the NAACP...that a good and fair outcome of this trial is not likely.

Here are the words from Charles Siebert not long ago about the trial. He says he is getting more on his side and will be vindicated. He seems clueless about the fact that the beating by the seven guards and a nurse who stoodby was caught on camera.

Medical examiner still has job.

Siebert, 45, who is appealing his dismissal, says he has backers in more vital corners: the medical community. Experts have come to his defense, calling the sickle cell trait finding credible.

"I'm actually looking forward to the trial," Siebert said in an interview at his office on a recent afternoon. "It's going to be the first time that all the truth comes out."

Perhaps if the beating has not been caught on video..that back up by his buddies in the medical community might mean something. Now it does not.

Here is more from the article I posted a while ago...background.

A year and a half ago, Charles Siebert was condemned as the medical examiner with the gall to rule that a boy who collapsed at a boot camp died of natural causes. His conclusion - that Martin Lee Anderson died of sickle cell trait, a disease that mostly affects blacks - stood in stark contrast to what millions saw on TV. A surveillance camera captured guards hitting and kneeing the 14-year-old. Protesters flooded the Capitol. They accused the doctor of racism and a coverup. Seven guards and a nurse are scheduled to go on trial here next month, each facing up to 30 years in prison. Siebert lost his job.

Now Bay County, the center of the controversy, has become Charles Siebert's sanctuary, a safe haven, though probably temporary, from the legion of critics who called for his head. Siebert was given his job back by Bay County State Attorney Steve Meadows after being fired by the state Medical Examiners Commission this summer.

Here is more about the beginning of the trial.

Boot Camp Death Trial Starts

Here is the video of the prolonged mistreatment of the kid whom Siebert said died of sickle cell anemia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIdYzIaX9hQ

Siebert should not be having confidence that his early diagnosis will be agreed with by the medical community. The video said way too much for that to happen.

Besides, Siebert had other problems with diagnoses previously.

Attorney General Charlie Crist requested the commission investigate Siebert's actions in April, specifying at least three autopsies.

Fifty-five-year-old James Madison Terry and his daughter Donna Faye Terry Reed, 35, were killed by a tornado spawned by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.

Reed's autopsy report stated her prostate gland and testes were unremarkable. Women do not have those organs. Terry's report failed to mention some major wounds.

Florida needs some justice here. There have been enough embarrassing things happening in this state.

[bmbmd]

1. Unbelievable brutality, malignant neglect.

Negligent homicide, at the very least. Nevertheless, here is a review of exercised/heat induced mortality in sickle trait.
http://sickle.bwh.harvard.edu/sickle_trait.html

[madfloridian]

2. I think it was undetected until he was beaten.

Here is a quote from the write-up at the You Tube site:

"Medical Examiner Charles Siebert concluded the teenager died of sickle cell trait, not from the beating. But even Bush questioned that conclusion. "If he wasn't beat up, that undetected illness wouldn't have caused death," Bush said."

I think they will try to weasel out of the beating charges, but I sure hope they don't succeed. I try to see both sides...but this was a sickly 14 year old surrounded by 7 big guards and a nurse.

There are no excuses.