Thompson sought reconsideration of his motion for bail pending sentence in light of his age and lung conditions and the presence of COVID-19 cases at his place of detention after the court previously rejected his motion when there were no known cases. The court found that Thompson's only argument that he did not pose a danger to the community because he complied with the terms of his pretrial release was clearly rebutted by the government's presentation that Thompson violated these terms by being around a minor. As a result, the court found that Thompson was likely to pose a danger to the community if released and did not consider whether his health condition and the COVID-19 cases at his place of detention constituted exceptional reasons favoring release. The court did note, however, that Thompson's place of detention "took proactive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19."
United States v. Thompson, No. 4:19-cr-40014, 2020 US Dist Lexis 129884 (W.D. Ark. July 23, 2020)
DETAILS
Decision
Date
07/23/2020
Practice Area
Criminal (Federal Charges)
Relief Requested
Release
Type of Court
Federal District Court
Location
Arkansas
Type of Case
Individual
Case Characteristics
Post-Conviction Detention [jail or prison], Pre-Existing Health Conditions
Receipt of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1)
Case Status
Decision Made
Pre-Existing Health Conditions
Age, Lung Disease
Pre-Existing Health Conditions Notes
Age (unspecified)
COVID-19 Positive or Symptomatic
Not Discussed
COVID-19 in Jail Prison or Detention Center
Yes
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.