Family and supporters of Isaiah Simmons III, who died a year ago after counselors at a residential juvenile treatment facility held him down for three hours, plan to rally Wednesday to demand the counselors be charged with manslaughter.
The counselors from Bowling Brook Preparatory School in Keymar who held Simmons down after an outburst are on trial for reckless endangerment, for allegedly failing to call 911 until Simmons had gone 41 minutes without taking a breath.
But the family of Simmons, 17 at death, is not giving up the fight.
State and local NAACP leaders, clergy members and Morgan State University officials will join them in rallying outside the Carroll County Courthouse, calling attention to the felony manslaughter charges they pushed for but were not brought.
“It?s one year, and there?s been no justice,” said Danielle Carter, Simmons? sister.
The family will launch the rally by telling of the devastation the family has endured in their battle for stiffer charges, and they will re-enact the restraint Simmons went through before he lost consciousness.
The family has called for the firing of Carroll County State?s Attorney Jerry Barnes and been in contact with the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI. Family members say they?re confident federal civil rights charges will be brought against the counselors after the trial after the reckless-endangerment case.
Barnes has maintained that evidence did not warrant felony charges.
Meanwhile, another hearing is scheduled for Friday in the cases against the six counselors, who are being tried separately.
Attorneys have filed several motions, including a motion to dismiss the charges, saying that a grand jury did not return indictments of manslaughter, so they must not have seen evidence of “grossly negligent conduct” resulting in Simmons? death.
“The fact that they?re even able to file the motion represents the inadequate investigation by the state?s attorney,” Carter said.
Trials for groups of three counselors are set to begin Feb. 4 and May 12.
If you go
» What: Rally commemorating the death of Isaiah Simmons III
» When: Noon Wednesday
» Where: Carroll County Courthouse, 55 N. Court St., Westminster
