Attorney: Trial could be two years away
November 29, 2006
By Stephen D. Price
The arraignment for the eight
defendants charged in the death of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson
will be Jan. 18 in Panama City.
Meanwhile, a defense attorney has
said the criminal trial -- which he predicted could be as much as
two years away -- will reveal much about what happened at the boot
camp that has not been revealed.
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Waylon Graham, who represents
former Bay County drill instructor Charles Helms Jr. in the criminal
case, said he wasn't surprised his client was charged Tuesday. He
said the trial will uncover much of what could not be heard on a
surveillance video of an Anderson being roughed up by guards.
"You don't hear the young man
saying, 'I'm not going to do these ... exercises,'" Graham said.
"The nurse said Martin was faking it."
A nine-month investigation into the
death of Anderson concluded Tuesday with seven Bay County boot camp
drill instructors and a nurse all being charged with felony
aggravated manslaughter of a child.
Charged were Helms, Henry Dickens,
Charles Enfinger, Patrick Garrett, Raymond Hauck, Henry McFadden
Jr., Kristin Schmidt and Joseph Walsh II. If convicted, the
defendants could receive up to 30 years in prison.
All of the drill instructors and
the nurse have been arrested and were released on $25,000 bond each.
Anderson died Jan. 6, a day after a
videotape of the incident showed he was hit, kneed and kicked by
drill instructors at the Bay County juvenile boot camp, which closed
last spring.
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