The court granted Mr. Ramos’s Emergency Motion for Pre-trial Release on the grounds that COVID-19 constituted a sufficient “change in circumstances” for release. Mr. Ramos has moderate to severe asthma, diabetes, and is overweight. The court determined he was not a flight risk, and ordered that he stay at his mother’s residence and be monitored by random landline calls by a supervising probation officer. While the facility had taken "significant steps" to reduce spread of COVID-19, "it is not possible for a medically vulnerable inmate such as Mr. Ramos to isolate himself in this institutional setting as recommended by the CDC, and guards and newly arrested individuals must enter the facility on a daily basis."
United States v. Ramos, No. 18-CR-30009-FDS, Dkt.168 (D. Mass. Mar. 26, 2020)
DETAILS
Decision
Date
3/26/2020
Practice Area
Criminal (Federal Charges)
Relief Requested
Release
Type of Court
Federal District Court
Location
Massachusetts
Type of Case
Individual
Case Characteristics
Pre-Existing Health Conditions, Pretrial Detention [jail]
Home confinement, the Court will sign a warrant to be activated if he is suspected to have left
Case Status
Decision Made
Pre-Existing Health Conditions
Asthma, Diabetes, Obesity, Other, Smoking, Substance Use Disorder, Diagnosed in the past with influenza
Pre-Existing Health Conditions Notes
Asthma (moderate to severe)
COVID-19 Positive or Symptomatic
Not discussed
Charges
Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
COVID-19 in Jail Prison or Detention Center
No
Litigation Database
Crowdsourced legal documents from around the country related to COVID-19 and incarceration, organized, collected, and summarized for public defenders, litigators, and other advocates. Created and managed by Bronx Defenders, Columbia Law School’s Center for Institutional and Social Change, UCLA Law COVID-19 Behind Bars Data Project, and Zealous. Mostly federal court opinions, but now expanding to states and legal filings, declarations, and exhibits.
This resource is designed to help lawyers, advocates, researchers, journalists, and others interested in challenging, remedying, or drawing attention to the grave risk that Covid-19 poses to individuals who are detained.