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Fed. Prosecutor Jailed on Sex Charges Commits Suicide in Custody

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 06:48:05 PM EST
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John David "Roy" Atchison, the Florida federal prosecutor arrested in Detroit and charged with planning to have sex with a five year old girl, and who unsuccessfully tried to commit suicide days later, has now succeeded.

He hanged himself this morning at the federal prison in Milan, where he was taken after trying to commit suicide last month at Sanilac County Jail, authorities said.

Officials said Atchison, 53, of Gulf Breeze, Fla., had been housed in solitary confinement and was under close supervision, adding that he had shown no signs of despondency.

Very sad. If the charges were true, this was a man in desperate need of psychiatric help. Our system, it seems, is only geared towards punishment.

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    Fed. Prosecutor Jailed on Sex Charges Commits Suicide in Custody | 30 comments (30 topical)

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    Some close supervision.... (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by Edger on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 10:14:24 PM EST
    He was in solitary. He was a known suicide risk.

    What in the hell were they supervising? The popcorn machine?

    The Popcorn Machine (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by squeaky on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 10:20:01 PM EST
    Guess the guards thought that they were doing him a favor by letting him do it himself rather than turning him over to the other prisoners. It seems that some of the other commenters would have done the same, were they supervising.

    Sad is right.

    Parent

    Very ::sick:: too... (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by Edger on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 10:41:45 PM EST


    Parent
    Some comments bother me (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by womanwarrior on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 10:18:04 PM EST
    Kindlingman criticizes talkleft for ignoring the "intended victim."  In this case, there was no victim.  This was a sting by a police officer lurking on the internet to offer opportunity, and yes, encourage the commission of a crime.  
        I don't like this use of the police. I wish they could catch people doing crimes, and not participating in causing crimes.  
        I appears this man had serious mental problems, even though he was a positive contributor to his community.  
        On the Court TV link, some talked about how he deserved the death penalty.  This was before a trial or plea or presentation of his side of his life. Demonizing other people, before all the facts are in is just not the way we should treat other members of the human race.  
        How would you feel if you were his daughter and he was a good dad and you read this?  
        The information given to the news made the man sound like a monster.  Maybe he wasn't, I don't know.  But I don't know why people should pile on and make his family feel worse.  

    He was ill. Obviously. (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Edger on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 10:35:48 PM EST
    He needed treatment. Not execution by omitting to act.

    And yes, that is an allegation.

    I hope there will be an inquiry into the conduct of the guards and the prison administration.

    The Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Milan is a low security facility housing male inmates with a detention center for pretrial and holdover male inmates.

    Low security Federal Correctional Institutions (FCIs) have double-fenced perimeters, mostly dormitory or cubicle housing, and strong work and program components.

    What did they do? Give him sheets and lock him in his cubicle? Does Milan even have a proper solitary cell?

    Something really stinks here. I doubt Atchison was the only one needing psychiatric treatment in Milan...

    Parent

    Sad is just the start of it. (5.00 / 2) (#22)
    by scribe on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 03:42:29 PM EST
    A few years back, I defended a county sheriff against a civil rights case, where part of the inmate's claim was that he had been mistreated after attempting suicide.  They took away his clothes and gave him a paper gown, and let him have his mattress 8/24 hours.

    Taking away his clothes and giving him the peper gown, I thought, was a little harsh, until I started reading up on it.  The rationale was that the gowns are designed to not be able to be made into a rope or other implement with which the inmate could strangle himself.  The paper is too weak to stand up to the kind of stress imposed by use as a noose or garrotte.  And, that's intentional - jailhouse suicides using clothes are probably as old as jailhouses.  

    Taking away the mattress was justified because empirical evidence shows it's either (A) rammed down the toilet or (B) used to block view of the video camera or cell door's window while the prisoner tries to off himself.

    The prisoner in question was really put out, because (a) no mattress meant the video monitor (actually being monitored, too) caught him winding his gown into a rope and looking for a place to tie off (leading to an "intervention" by staff) and (b) when he thought he had a good-enough rope made from his gown, it started tearing and was useless as a rope (or as clothing).

    In the case of the AUSA who killed himself, I am left to wonder why it was that he was able to fashion a rope from whatever it was he was able to use.  It's not like his attempting suicide was a "surprise" - he was on suicide watch.

    Similarly, I am left to wonder why it was he was allowed to be unobserved for long enough to not only die from suicide, but also long enough to take the time to fashion whatever implements he used to kill himself.  It takes time to make a rope, and it gets a little hard to explain if the guard stops by (or looks in on video) and sees you sitting naked and your clothes winding into rope....

    I am inclined to believe the guards let him kill himself, so as to allow him to evade going forward and die innocent, or at least unconvicted, of the crimes with which he was charged.  

    treatment of pedophilia (5.00 / 2) (#30)
    by diogenes on Sun Oct 07, 2007 at 09:56:20 PM EST
    It is very hard to change anyone's sexual orientation via any form of therapy.  Treatment focuses on trying to enlist whatever conscience is there by correcting rationalizations (the kid likes it, etc) and clarifying risks (i.e. prison).  If the pedophile has a secondary interest in sex with adults who can consent then of course that is fostered as well.
    The psychiatric treatment that would be attempted would be suicide prevention for this man; a middle class, previously unarrested man charged with a high-profile, high-stigma crime is the classic suicide in jail profile.  

    Sad? (1.00 / 3) (#2)
    by kindlingman on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 09:49:00 PM EST
    Are you not sad that he planned to have sex with a five year old?
    Are you not sad that a five year old girl was his target?
    Are you not sad that he was in a position of responsibility and trust and intended to do another person harm?

    It is indeed sad that the perpetrator gains sympathy and the intended victim is ignored. It is indeed sad when people do not know the difference between right and wrong and how to act towards them both.

    I do not feel sad for him, nor for the outcome, nor for the penal system. But I do feel sad for you.
       

    Huh? (5.00 / 3) (#8)
    by 1980Ford on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 11:22:57 PM EST
    "Are you not sad that he planned to have sex with a five year old?"

    Yes.

    "Are you not sad that a five year old girl was his target?"

    Yes.

    "Are you not sad that he was in a position of responsibility and trust and intended to do another person harm?"

    Yes, and so much for the deterrent argument.

    "It is indeed sad that the perpetrator gains sympathy and the intended victim is ignored."

    Guess you didn't get the memo. He's dead and dead people can't be perpetrators.

    "It is indeed sad when people do not know the difference between right and wrong and how to act towards them both."

    Yes, it is.

    "I do not feel sad for him, nor for the outcome, nor for the penal system. But I do feel sad for you. "

    "It is indeed sad when people do not know the difference between right and wrong and how to act towards them both."

    Hopefully his wife can sue for enough to put her children through college.

    Parent

    You are on the wrong site (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 01:33:25 AM EST
    This is a site that promotes the rights of those accused of crime.  You would probably be much happier at a crime victim's site.

    Parent
    Thanks Jeralyn (none / 0) (#31)
    by rustydude on Mon Oct 08, 2007 at 11:44:50 PM EST
    Thanks for the explanation.  After 3 months of reading the site, I had not realized that rights of the accused was one of the primary themes.  I'm kind of slow sometimes.

    Since I finally got around to registering and offering my first comment, let me further add that I like what you and the other front pagers have to say in this blog.

    Parent

    Sad? (none / 0) (#1)
    by 1980Ford on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 08:30:48 PM EST
    CourtTV is happy!

    Geezus! (none / 0) (#11)
    by robrecht on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 06:57:42 AM EST
    Some people over at DK think this is a relevant question.

    It is relevant. (none / 0) (#12)
    by Edger on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 08:28:58 AM EST
    The Republican Party attracts huge numbers of very sick people. In more ways than one.

    It's just not on topic.

    Parent

    How is it relevant? (none / 0) (#13)
    by robrecht on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 09:00:41 AM EST
    Do you believe there's a higher incidence of Republican pedophiles?

    Parent
    Yes. (none / 0) (#14)
    by Edger on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 09:07:22 AM EST
    It appears so.

    Parent
    Any comparative data to back that up? (1.00 / 1) (#15)
    by robrecht on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 12:09:46 PM EST


    Parent
    Any comparative data to refute or invalidate it? (none / 0) (#17)
    by Edger on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 12:11:30 PM EST


    Parent
    None at all ... (none / 0) (#21)
    by robrecht on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 03:21:45 PM EST
    ... but I didn't make the claim.

    Parent
    You have nothing, IOW. (none / 0) (#23)
    by Edger on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 04:02:51 PM EST
    And I can find no record either of anything that even approaches anywhere near the levels of pedophilia among Democrats that there is documented among Republicans.

    As I said, the Republican Party attracts huge numbers of very sick people, and there appears to be nothing that suggests the same for the Democrats.

    You're welcome to search, though, to back up your "innuendo".

    Parent

    Innuendo? (1.00 / 1) (#25)
    by robrecht on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 04:42:18 PM EST
    Presumption perhaps.  I don't doubt your sincere attempts to find evidence of democratic pedophilia, but it's certainly not an interest of mine to research this issue further.  I'm content to let you believe as you wish, but I would personally like to see a better case before I abandon my completely unfounded presumption.

    Parent
    "Innuendo" (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by Edger on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 04:55:30 PM EST
    Republican suppository.

    Parent
    Well, there is certainly a higher incidence (none / 0) (#16)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 12:10:37 PM EST
    of male Dem judges taking male inmates into their private quarters and paddling them on their bare bottoms. Naughty, naughty.

    Parent
    Nothing beats the sheer (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by jondee on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 05:09:41 PM EST
    might-makes-right catharsis of punching and slamming little black girls against a car hood,though.

    Parent
    Any data? (none / 0) (#18)
    by Edger on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 12:12:57 PM EST
    Anyone who does this kind of stuff is sick...

    Parent
    Yup (none / 0) (#20)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 01:17:48 PM EST
    1 Dem, 0 Repubs.

    Parent
    1 Dem, 0 Repubs ::what::? (none / 0) (#24)
    by Edger on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 04:03:51 PM EST


    Parent
    100% ? (none / 0) (#19)
    by Jen M on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 12:12:57 PM EST
    (one hopes)

    Parent
    suicide (none / 0) (#28)
    by diogenes on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 07:05:11 PM EST
    If he were properly observed in a proper observation cell, he wouldn't be dead.  
    People who are intent on killing themselves also do it in psychiatric hospitals.
    A reason to observe inmates who claim to be suicidal in observation cells is that if you send all inmates who say that they are suicidal to psychiatric hospitals, there is an epidemic of reports of suicidality.
    Where I work we keep people safe with the paper suit and solitary constant observation without privacy.  Anyone who is so depressed as to not grow weary of the paper suit and showering in front of an officer eventually goes to a brief forensic hospital.
    Of course, I've sent prisoners to a forensic hospital and they've been beaten up.  Sending this man to a hospital filled with people who are psychotic, criminal, or both would sending him beatings or death given his charges.
    There seems to be (none / 0) (#29)
    by Edger on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 07:35:41 PM EST
    various approaches to attempting treatment of pedophilia. I understand you are a psychiatrist, yes? To your knowledge or experience what kind of success rates have been achieved? Can it be... "cured"... if that is an applicable term?

    Parent
    Fed. Prosecutor Jailed on Sex Charges Commits Suicide in Custody | 30 comments (30 topical)

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