Allen Stanford Still Wants Out Of Prison, Dammit (Also: Check Out His Drug List)

Accused Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford has issued another plea to the courts to get him the hell out of jail, stat.

He filed a motion yesterday saying his ability to function, much less assist his lawyers with his defense, is severely hampered by keeping him a federal detention center.

On June 18, 2009, when Mr. Stanford surrendered to authorities, he was a healthy 59
year-old man, with no substantial physical or mental health issues. Now, nearly one year in
detention later, Mr. Stanford’s pretrial incarceration has reduced him to a wreck of a man: he has
suffered potentially life-impairing illnesses; he has been so savagely beaten that he has lost all
feeling in the right side of his face and has lost near field vision in his right eye. The major
injuries from his assault while in prison required reconstructive surgery under general anesthesia
and was performed while he was under restraint.

He also cites a Rogue’s Gallery of defendants who were allowed out on bail while awaiting trial, including Bernie Madoff, Richard Scrushy of HealthSouth, Bernie Ebbers and two hometown favorites: Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling.

The filing describes Stanford’s medications and current condition:

He is currently prescribed seven medications: mirtazapine (45 mg
daily at night); sertraline (Zoloft)(50 mg daily in the morning); clonazepan (1 mg twice daily,
morning and evening); omeprazole (20 mg twice daily); lisinopril (5 mg daily in the morning);
metoprolol (25 mg once daily); and aniodaraone (200 mg once daily).

He remains in the throes
of a major depression, which is becoming progressively more debilitating, the symptoms of
which include
1. Disheveled appearance and he had not shaved in several days.
2. Unable to sleep without the aid of the mirtazapine and clonazepan.
3. Energy level is low, does not want to get out of bed in the morning, feels like he has
to drag himself around, and has not exercised.
4. Unable to concentrate, short term memory is poor and is getting worse, and
complains of memory gaps.
5. No appetite but forces himself to eat.
6. Exhibits psyschomotor retardation with slow thinking and decreasing mental
sharpness.
7. Denies suicidal thoughts but worries that when he falls into one of the black
depressive holes he will be unable to come back.

Lotsa drugs and Numbers 3, 4 & 6 above: Slacker City, man.

His attorneys say keeping him in prison during trial would involve “physically and mentally
exhausting and degrading procedures” in moving him back and forth from his cell to the courtroom.

They ask to let him live with his fiancee’s sister in Houston and offers a long list of restrictions he’d be willing to meet.

“Stanford,” his attorneys write, “has neither the means to flee (as the court declared him an indigent on September 15,
2009); nor the motive to flee as he is determined to fully contest the charges against him; and,
under the proposed conditions, he will certainly not have the opportunity to flee.”