State: Senate panel reinstates full $5-million for death

TALLAHASSEE - The parents of a teenager who died after being roughed up by guards at a state-run boot camp should get $5-million, not a smaller amount recommended by lawyers, a state Senate committee voted Tuesday.

Action by the Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Committee means the full Senate will vote on the settlement as early as Friday. It would then have to go to the House.

"Martin Lee Anderson could have been your child or my child," said Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa.

Anderson, 14, was sent to the Bay County boot camp for juvenile offenders after taking his grandmother's car on a joyride. On his first day, he collapsed during a run and surveillance video shows guards thrashing him.

Experts say he was suffocated, disputing the original finding that he had a blood disorder known as sickle cell trait.

The family already has received $2.4-million from the Bay County Sheriff's Office, which operated the camp for the Juvenile Justice Department.

With Gov. Charlie Crist's backing, it sought $5-million from the state. But lawyers who reviewed the case for the Legislature said the family should get $2.3-million.

On Tuesday, Sen. Victor Crist, R-Tampa, withdrew an amendment for the smaller amount.

The panel then voted unanimously to give the family $4.8-million, since the state has already paid $200,000.

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Comments on this article

by Ken	04/26/07 07:51 AM
$200K was plenty. Agreed, it should not have happened, but why are the taxpayers being punished? As usual the legislature seems to think it's their money, not ours. Quit being a money fountain.

by MaryJane/Diana	04/26/07 02:23 AM
No amount of money could even come close to the satisfaction for making those who were involve"ACCOUNTABLE" for such a "Hurrendous Crime" that would brutally take a childs life. True Justice Equals "ACCOUNTABILITY!!! 210-638-8283 MaryJane.

by joe	04/25/07 10:22 PM
who said this kid was a baby?? are you kidding me, what a joke, babies don't commit crimes, steal cars, rob, etc. I hope you don't have kids!

by Jay	04/25/07 10:00 PM
"...could have been your child...was sent to...boot camp...after taking his grandmother's car on a joyride." Sen Joyner is a disgrace and should offer to resign immediately. And she should speak only for her own family, not good children.

by Annette	04/25/07 09:06 PM
It's sad what happened to this kid, but had he killed someone on the joyride, could the family left behind grieving be able to get millions from the Anderson Family? I think NOT.A payoff is not Justice, jailtime for the Guards and Nurse would be!

by mom to five	04/25/07 09:04 PM
First,a funeral,even a real expensive one does not come close to the amount they recieved. Second I coud not spend ONE penny of money "rewarded" for the death of any of my children,the thought of them doing it makes me more sick than their sons death

by Gilbert	04/25/07 08:13 PM
I think the Bay County Sherriff's Office should be made to pay, not the state. The child was in thier custody and the officers was thier employees.

by Gilbert	04/25/07 07:47 PM
Showing of the video, I'd be hard pressed to say, that you could not find a civil jury that would not side with the PARENTS! Especially if they had children. While I think the amount is too large, After the not guilty verdicts coming it'll be okay.

by Marvin	04/25/07 07:16 PM
Thank God there are people that care about our youth. I don't know what has been done to the ones who done this, but they need to be removed from their duties. I hope that this brings some closer for the victim family and friends. Thanks Charlie.

by Dee	04/25/07 06:06 PM
It is unfortunate that this young man had to die. The parents were trying to get him help. Parents can raise a child the right way, but that doesn't mean the child will turn out good. My heart goes out to them.

by wendell	04/25/07 05:20 PM
All you peple who are so upset over the money the're getting, I bet you would'nt be if it was your child. Put yourself in your fellow human's shoes before you get upset.

by sauce	04/25/07 04:50 PM
isnt this really the parents fault since they sent him to the boot camp in the first place? they deserve nothing.

by Candi	04/25/07 04:33 PM
THAT'S GREAT! JUSTICE WAS DONE ON THAT. WHAT ABOUT THE GUY'S AND NURSE WHAT ARE THEY GETTING PRISON TIME I HOPE HAS THERE TRIAL CAAME UP YET IF YOU KNOW PLEASE COMMENT ON IT. IT WAS A SHAME THEY KILLED THAT BOY. IT'S NOT HITLER TIME'S . MURDER'S!

by Steevo	04/25/07 04:26 PM
Of course it was wrong what happened to him and he didn't deserve to die. But no one is worth $7.4 million. If I still lived in Florida and paid state sales taxes, I would be pretty angry about this...

by zak c	04/25/07 04:18 PM
alot of people dont want to admit it but race plays a big part of everday life and its so sad to say but its true if that kid was white that wouldnt never happenend and just say it did happen his family would have already been paid (and im white)

by Tiffany	04/25/07 03:26 PM
First of all, Steven, if you had children you would understand that its not about the money and are u aware of how much a funeral costs. Second of all, this boy was just a baby. He didn't even have a chance to better himself. I agree w/Fred, M, & Tom

by kevin	04/25/07 03:12 PM
sorry that couldnt be my kid ... didnt raise them that way.. and i dont believe florida should be paying out 5 million for a bad child... crime does pay in this state

by joanne	04/25/07 03:10 PM
think a white parent would be getting 5 million or just a im sorry card

by Nat	04/25/07 02:56 PM
....and what of the child who studies hard, has the grades, but is unable to go to college? In our society it is obvious we reward bad behavior, either by the parents or the child.

by Tom	04/25/07 02:46 PM
An excessive award like this only punishes taxpayers. It does not bring the boy back nor does it affect those responsible for the crime. It also feeds greedy lawyers.

by Paul	04/25/07 02:19 PM
Why must everything have a monetary value. If this kid had killed a correction officer would the officers family get $$ from the kids family ?? Put the offending officers in jail for a long time but why the big $$ rewards ?

by Daniel	04/25/07 01:46 PM
My child is priceless - this child, apparently was not. While in life he wasn't worth their time, at least in death he provided his parents a fiscal windfall.

by mike	04/25/07 01:32 PM
I say we sue the "parents" for 5M to cover what it would have cost to incarcerate him, feed his illegitimate kids, etc.. and call it even.

by Sally	04/25/07 01:24 PM
No Tom, he didn't deserve to die & I don't believe it was anything but an accident. But Steven is right-the parents don't deserve a dime! Take that $5MM & spend it 4 mentally disturbed kids whose parents are seeking help before something bad happens.

by barbara	04/25/07 01:03 PM
Get real Tom! this family deserves nothing, if he was RAISED properly by his parents, this would never have happened, why should the state have to reform a CRIMINAL?????

by Melinda	04/25/07 12:53 PM
The teenager did not deserve to die but I fail to see how his family deserves to become millionaires at taxpayers' expense. A better solution would be prosecuting those involved and fixing institution wide problems. Our society is corrupted by $$$

by Angel	04/25/07 12:40 PM
The guilty should be punished according to the law. No money should be paid except to reimburse them for the funeral arrangements. The state paying this money does not punish the guilty, it punishes the tax payers of FL!!!!!!!

by Tom	04/25/07 12:15 PM
Uhh Steven...get rich fast???? This child was killed by government officers. Bad or not, he didnt deserve to die. Your comments are dishearting.

by steven	04/25/07 11:49 AM
wow anyone wanting to get rich fast that has a bad kid they don't know how to raise themselves send them to boot camp let them smart off get beat to death and then, bing, bang, boom you won the lottery

by Jourdan	04/25/07 11:05 AM
Do the parents really care if they're getting so much money for the death of their child? Money doesn't cure everything and it's in bad character to want to be paid for your child's death.

by M	04/25/07 10:11 AM
No amount of money can bring this child back to his family. He was sent away to boot camp to be reformed, not murdered. If it were me I would just want to see justice served and these people punished. So, this never happens again.

by Tony	04/25/07 09:50 AM
Sen Joyner, no Martin Lee Anderson could not have been my child. I have raised my children not to be thieves. 7.4 million dollars, that is unbelievable. People screaming about taxes and we are paying 5 mil from state tax dollars for a criminal. RACE!

by donna	04/25/07 09:33 AM
sorry, sen. joyner, that would have never been my child. i would have gotten more help for him and worked harder for my child before he was so far gone that he needed a "boot camp".

by Renee	04/25/07 08:58 AM
the child was a juvinile delinquent - why does that automatically make the family get millions? That is not fair. Yes it is a tragedy that de died, but they are owed NOTHING.

by Fred	04/25/07 07:15 AM
Way to go Sen. Joyner- state employees who are killers should be jailed and the $ should be paid w/o question.

Politics

Senate panel reinstates full $5-million for death