The Key West Citizen

PEOPLE'S FORUM

The Citizen welcomes expressions of the views of its readers, but the editor reserves the right to delete any items which are considered libelous or unwarranted. The writers should be fair and confine the letters to 200 words and write on one side of the paper only. Signature of the writer must accompany the letters and will be published unless requested otherwise.

MENTAL CASE ACTION DEFENDED

Editor, The Citizen:

Replying to Mr. Horton's letter in the People's Forum of Saturday, I would like to furnish the following information concerning the mental case in question!

While authority in this matter rested entirely with the Sheriff's Office and the County Judge, the county commission intervened in the case in the boy's interest and assured all concerned that whatever funds were necessary to alleviate the boy's condition would be forthcoming through the county government.

The entire county commission spent more than three hours at the Monroe County jail on June 1 and after taking into consideration the boy's previous record as an inmate of an institution in Shelby, Mass., and the advice of Dr. Moore and Dr. Herz, the decision was made by those in authority to get the boy in the state institution as quickly as possible.

The boy has been suffering from a head injury since he was 10 years of age and has a long record of treatment and care in his home state. In the opinion of the doctors observing the youth, it was doubtful that an operation locally could have brought him back to normalcy.

However, the county commission has no jurisdiction in the case; if an offer was made by the Navy doctor, it was probably made to the sheriff's office, the proper authority in the case. The offer was neither received nor refused by the county commission and in no respect was the question of "saving of money" taken into consideration.

The statement "that the youth would spend the rest of his life in a mental institution" is in error as in our state institution every effort is made to help those who can be helped. They are well equipped and staffed to take care of patients of this kind. Where a patient has a record in another state, the authorities there are always consulted and the best for the patient is always done.

If Mr. Horton or any other interested citizen would care to come to my office or to the sheriff's office, additional information can be furnished on this case to assure him that everything possible was done for the best interest of this boy.

JOE ALLEN.

June 14, 1954.

Key West, Fla.