TB Patient Jailed For Not Following Doctor's Orders

PHOENIX: Robert Daniels, aged 27 has been jailed and under a 24 hour lock down at the Maricopa County Medical Center Jail since August 2006. His doctor had warned him not to go out in public unless he wore a face mask. Well, Daniel's did just that. And, not only did he come out in public without the protection of the mask, but he had quit taking his prescribed medications. So, the end result was an arrest.

Now Daniels' suffers from a form of tuberculosis which is drug resistant. And, he's not incarcerated because he committed a crime, but Health Officials feel individuals like this should be quarantined. And, that these type of safety precautions are just and reasonable. By no means is he the first.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona has stepped in to fight for his release. "The conditions he's in are a lot worse than that of the average inmate," stated ACLU attorney Dan Pochoda at a hearing last week.

Although, Daniels' condition has vastly improved Dr. Maricela Moffitt feels "This patient, in my opinion, needs to be in secure isolation because he can't be trusted to remain in isolation on his own. If somebody's noncompliant when he is actively dying from this disease, it is much easier to [break quarantine] when he feels good."

And, I say Dr. Moffitt your medical license are in dire need of being suspended and revoked while we cart you off in a straight jacket to nearest insane asylum.