Mom Says Florida Jail Killed Her Son

When Timothy Jerome Webb, who had AIDS, suffered from chills, fever, headaches, chest pains and difficulty breathing at the Orange County Jail, he was given a common painkiller. Soon he fell into a coma, and, several days later, he died. According to jail medication administration charts, Webb did not receive the medicine that might have kept him alive, although a doctor had prescribed it. In the latest allegation of medical neglect in central Florida jails, Orlando attorneys have notified officials they intend to file a suit in federal court on behalf of Webb's family. Another inmate, Karen Johnson, died of methadone withdrawal at Orange County Jail during the summer.

The recent notice accuses Orange County, Fla., of wrongful death. Webb, a 34-year-old office clerk and former police cadet who grew up in Polk County, Fla., was arrested on charges of prostitution and violating probation about three months before his July 2000 death. "I know he had to pay for his crime," said Webb's mother, Angelina Brown. "But he was a human being. We treat dogs better than this in our society. He had the right to get his medicine." Diagnosed with AIDS in 1997, he had been prescribed medication that combats potentially deadly Pneumocystis pneumonia, said Dr. William Robbins, an infectious diseases specialist who was Webb's private doctor.

On April 18, 2000, less than three months before his death, Webb wrote on an inmate request form: "In [reference] to disability and chronic illness that I'm not getting any medication for. This is my third request to see someone in medical personnel. Please advise when [appointment] will be scheduled." Despite the plea, Webb was not given medicine until May 2000, when he became so ill that he was hospitalized at the end of the month, his records show. When he improved and was returned to his cell on June 5, 2000, he still was not given the medication, according to his records. Pam Steinke, manager of Orange County Health Services, which oversees the jail medical unit, said officials are investigating Webb's case.

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