Swine Flu Is Holding Up Justice
July 29, 2009Latest Swine Flu: Orange County Jail
Throughout California, swine flu is effecting jail populations. Last week, we reported quarantines at San Diego jails and swine flu outbreaks at Los Angeles County jails.
On Tuesday, an Orange County Superior Court Judge ruled that there is legal justification to keep the Orange County Jail under quarantine to control the outbreak of swine flu at that jail.
So far 25 inmates at the Orange County Central Men’s jail have the swine flu and are being isolated within the jail. Due to the incubation period for the disease, more cases might be looming, another reason to lock down the jail until the flu can be brought under control. The jail normally houses around 800 inmates. A lot of them are presently involved in court proceedings. Therefore, locking down the jail could cause a lot of problems within the court system. But Judge Thomas Goethals seesthat there is enough of a health problem with the jail and will move forward with the quarantine.
For now, some of the Superior Court Judges are just going to have to be patient and at times, sit around and wait until they have a case placed in front of them that don’t involve inmates from the Central Jail.
