Attorney Ian Friedman recently spoke to the Huffington Post about the current detention of Bresha Meadows, his 15-year-old client who is accused of murder. Meadows' case has gotten international attention as more and more advocates push for her release while she endures an unusually long pretrial detention period.
"We want her out as quickly as possible, but we have to give compelling information to the court that convinces them that her release, whether it be home or to some other facility, is appropriate and in her best interest," Attorney Friedman told Huffington Post. "There is a lot of work behind the scenes that the public will eventually see."
Meadows was scheduled to have a hearing on November 22, but that hearing has now been postponed until January 20—meaning that she will spend the holidays in Trumbull County Juvenile Detention Center in Warren, Ohio. Attorney Friedman, Bresha's family, and supporters had hoped to secure her release at the November 22 hearing while she waits for her trial.
An Unusually Lengthy Detention
Huffington Post also spoke to Erin Davies of the Juvenile Justice Coalition about Meadows' detention. On average, juveniles in Ohio spend less than two weeks in pretrial detention. With the latest hearing postponement, Meadows is likely to spend nearly six months in detention, which is cause for alarm for advocates like Davies. "Detentions can be really damaging to kids,” she told Huffington Post. "It should be used as a last resort."
Ohio prosecutors are still trying to decide whether or not to try Meadows as an adult. She was arrested in late July following the shooting death of her father, Jonathan Meadows. Bresha's mother, Brandi Meadows, and her siblings were allegedly all victims of domestic abuse and, according to Attorney Friedman, the shooting occurred following a violent attack from Jonathan Meadows.
The national #FreeBresha campaign has continued to raise awareness about the case and demand that not only Bresha be free but that the murder charges against her be dropped. As Attorney Friedman told HuffPo: "She [Bresha] took the only step that she could, in her mind, to save her mother’s life and that of her siblings."
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