FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2007 WWW.USDOJ.GOV CRT (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888 WASHINGTON U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida Gregory Robert Miller and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Rena Comisac announced today that Mr. Miller, together with managing attorneys from the U.S. Attorneys Office and the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division, the Regional Director of the Community Relations Service of the Justice Department, and the Senior Supervisory Resident agent of the FBI Tallahassee Field Office met today in Tallahassee with Adora Obi Nweze, President of the Florida NAACP, and other representatives from the organization. The meeting was held at the request of the Florida NAACP to discuss the federal investigation of the Jan. 5, 2006, death of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson following his collapse at the Bay County, Fla., boot camp for juvenile offenders. The U.S. Attorneys Office had previously met with Ms. Nweze and representatives of the NAACP at their request in March 2006.
At todays meeting, Ms. Nweze voiced concerns about the recent acquittal of eight boot camp employees on state criminal charges arising from Andersons death and emphasized the need for prompt federal intervention. Mr. Miller responded to these concerns by assuring representatives of the NAACP that his office and the Civil Rights Division are currently conducting a thorough and independent review of all of the evidence concerning the case. Mr. Miller explained that, should the U.S. Attorneys Office and the Civil Rights Division determine that there is sufficient evidence to establish a prosecutable violation of any federal criminal civil rights statutes, appropriate action will be taken.
After meeting with the NAACP, Mr. Miller and the same representatives of the Civil Rights Division and the FBI met with the family of Martin Lee Anderson and their counsel.
This is an on-going criminal investigation; therefore, the Department can make no further comment on this case at this time. 07-840
Source: US Department of Justice
