Grand Jury To Review Escambia Jail Explosion

September 8, 2014

State Attorney Bill Eddins announced Monday morning that his office has  completed its review of the facts and circumstances leading up to and immediately  following the explosion at the Escambia County Jail.

The review followed an extensive and comprehensive investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Office of the State Attorney.

Based  on this review, it has been determined that incident should be presented to an Escambia County Grand Jury for their consideration, Eddins said.

The grand ury will begin their consideration of this matter on September 30 and  will continue until such time as they complete their review. As part of their review, the grand jury will decide whether there is sufficient evidence to establish that any crime was committed.

The grand jury may also consider any other issues surrounding the jail explosion as they deem appropriate. Because of the confidential nature of grand jury proceedings, no additional facts will be released by the State Attorney’s Office.

“Escambia County administration, county attorney and staff will continue to fully cooperate with the State Attorney’s Office through this process,” Escambia County said in a written response to receipt of a press release from the State Attorney’s Office.

NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

10 Responses to “Grand Jury To Review Escambia Jail Explosion”

  1. Laugh Of The Day on September 12th, 2014 7:42 pm

    View the County Commissioner meeting on 9/11/14 on line for a laugh. Commissioners paying money for studies on building a new jail and even discussing staffing. Why don’t they ask the people who operate the jail for their expertise in this area instead of blowing our tax dollars. Give the jail back to the Sheriff where it belongs. By the time you spend the money on studies and talking about things you do not know a thing about, you will need 1,000 more beds. It is a jail people, the average rate of stay is probably 32 days and you want programs that we have to pay for to help with rehabilitation? Spend our money more wisely, these programs work well in prisons where the inmates are sentenced longer, but not in a jail setting. Please do us all a favor, give the jail back to the Sheriff and get the hell out of the way.

  2. David Huie Green on September 11th, 2014 7:15 pm

    CONTEMPLATING:
    “people make mistakes and a conviction for a petty crime doesnt deserve death or even the disrespect that there are being given”

    I’m pretty sure nobody intended to blow up the building to punish petty crimes. More likely it was a series of mistakes not directed at the prisoners or the Correctional Officers. Show some forgiveness. Many were hurt.

    AND
    “no wonder god is trying to destroy Pensacola , no faith ”

    You believe the good Lord is trying to destroy Pensacola but simply isn’t powerful enough to do it?
    Is some more powerful being stopping Him?
    Have ye no faith?

    AND
    “yall still follow your green leader the almighty dollar,”

    How are we money ahead stopping criminals from preying on others by jailing them?
    Wouldn’t it be cheaper to simply kill everybody convicted of any sort of crime?
    Since nobody is wanting to do that, I don’t see where the dollar is being worshipped even if you DO claim it is “almighty.”
    Come to think of it, I guess that is a FORM of faith.

    David for enlightenment

  3. tammy on September 10th, 2014 11:39 pm

    well, we can kiss the last three or four years of taxes we paid goodbye; once the lawyers get through having their way with us and what not. This will also encourage people to try to get in jail since there foolish enough to play the lottery. the odds of a big payout are probably better to commit crime and hope for a gas explosion.

  4. David Huie Green on September 10th, 2014 8:47 pm

    CONSIDERING:
    “He was locked up earlier and two other people were to take care of his dogs but they didn’t and some died so after he was released he was rearrested for ANIMAL CRUELTY charges so how can he be held responsible for something he thought he had taken care of and virtually had no communications to make sure it was done.”

    He was locked up so he couldn’t take care of his dogs?

    Because he was locked up and not taking care of his dogs, he was locked up?

    He was responsible for taking care of his animals but he expected others to do it for him and they didn’t and he didn’t check because he trusted them?, therefore he was considered responsible which he wasn’t because he was in jail?

    Couldn’t this all have been avoided by not going to jail in the first place?

    David for first causes
    and reliable friends

  5. l rhodes on September 10th, 2014 11:42 am

    There is so much disrespect for human life in escambia county , y’all live in glass houses , yall dont care unless it effects you , people make mistakes and a conviction for a petty crime doesnt deserve death or even the disrespect that there are being given , yall are basically saying its ok to treat humans like animals , no wonder god is trying to destroy pensacola , no faith no careing needs to be washed away .now god has brought the evil that exist to light , but yall still follow your green leader the almighty dollar, yall elected them and you still stand behind them while they slowly take our rights. Escambia county grand jury y’all are safe y’all will get away with it now . God save your souls

  6. XD9RACER on September 9th, 2014 1:38 pm

    TO ALL PEOPLE PREJUDGING OTHERS INCARCERATED. NOT EVERYONE IN JAIL IS GUILTY OF DOING SOMETHING WRONG TO GET THEM THERE. THEY ARE SUSPECTS. I knew one that got killed and he was not guilty of what he was charged with. He was locked up earlier and two other people were to take care of his dogs but they didn’t and some died so after he was released he was rearrested for ANIMAL CRUELTY charges so how can he be held responsible for something he thought he had taken care of and virtually had no communications to make sure it was done.
    It is sad this happened when they knew the problem was there and failed to shut it down and transfer the inmates out before they had to–oh sure it would have cost money to do it but not as much as it will cost them now after the fact. It was all about the numbers–to keep the jail full to the max and even overcrowded just to create more revenue for the COUNTY so now the greedy ones can pay for the two lives lost and have to give up some revenue from the inmates now housed in other facilities. MAKE THE RESTITUTION COME OUT OF THE POCKETS OF THE POLITICIANS AND THE ONES RESPONSIBLE NOT THE TAXPAYERS. THEY ALWAYS WANT TO PAD THEIR OWN POCKETS NOW IT IS TIME TO UNPAD THEM AND STOP MAKING THE TAXPAYERS FOOT THE BILL. IT WAS NOT THE REGULAR JOES FAULT THIS TIME–JUST GREEDY IRRESPONSIBLE PEOPLE.

  7. A Mom That Cares on September 9th, 2014 7:13 am

    Hannah, have you thought about whoever you victimized, no because ya’ll(criminals) never ever do anything wrong, it’s always the other person, are you gonna give restitution to your victim, without it being a gift, of course not, also, if you hadn’t done wrong, you would not have been there in the first place, now if it would have been a kid that a parent placed in there to teach a quick lesson, I would be compassionate & understandable, like me who has wanted & been tempted to let my kid visit there just to show them an example but I don’t know if they do that for parents anymore, this explosion is where I’m glad I hadn’t taken my kid down there, so do yourself a favor & stay out of trouble & take your problems as a restitution, & you will have learned a lesson, maybe

  8. Jane on September 9th, 2014 3:48 am

    There is always politics and pettiness involved in something like this. The inmate above is already complaining that she didn’t get enough money for her “pain and suffering”! She should be glad she survived!

  9. Hannah Hamilton on September 8th, 2014 10:12 pm

    There’s no I mean no excuse that can justify this I was in this explosion, and the things I saw, the things I went through, where crazy and unacceptable. We where forced to be in a hazardous and unsafe place for more than 48 hours. The county hasn’t do e anything that I’ve seen or witnest to help the images that where injured, but yet they spent thousands on mental health while some of us were incarcerated, I still haven’t seen anyone. I may have been an inmate but I am by no means stupid. They new there was leaking gas and the building was flooded yet they Di did nothing. We where just a bunch of inmates to them, they insulted us. 100$$$ for our property loss??? Really

  10. Hope for the best on September 8th, 2014 6:37 pm

    Hope it is a full review with no politics involved.