MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It’s become the whisper around Shelby County Juvenile Court: What happened when a young man, in court on a child support issue last week, became violently ill?
“He got sick, had an apparent seizure,” attorney Mozella Ross said.
Ross wasn’t in the courtroom that day but has talked with other attorneys about what apparently happened. She said one lawyer even asked for a recess, but court went on.
“Most of the people I talked to that were there said they were very alarmed by what happened, and it was traumatic for everybody to continue on as if this person didn’t exist,” said Ross.
Juvenile Court officials confirmed to WREG there was an incident involving a person becoming sick. They said court proceedings did stop as paramedics worked on the patient.
One person we talked to said as long as the man was getting needed medical attention, why stop court at all?
“If I need immediate medical attention and I am getting it from the right people, then the world keeps turning. But as long as I am getting what I need, then I am OK with it,” said Constance Shaw of Bartlett.
There were rumors the man didn’t survive the emergency. Juvenile Court said he did and was back at court the next day, but witnesses find that hard to believe.
Ross said one thing the entire incident shows is the need for some type of standard protocol when it comes to handling medical emergencies in court.
“In our court, we need to be sensitive and make sure everybody is treated with dignity and respect,” said Ross.
Sources tell WREG there are now meetings underway to look at protocol and how things are handled in court if someone becomes seriously ill. Juvenile Court officials could not confirm those meetings.
