Bresha Meadows, 15yo charged with killing her allegedly abusive father, will remain in custody
Bresha Meadows has been in custody for more than nine months after killing her father and will not be released before trial. The 15-year-old has been charged with aggravated murder in the death of her father, Jonathan Meadows despite her attorney’s assertion that he was physically abusive to multiple members of the household.
Meadows’ case has received national attention. Many of her supporters argue that she’s a prime example of the risk victims, Black women and children, specifically, take just to protect themselves and survive.
The teenagers’ attorney, Ian Friedman, asked that she be released from custody before her trial because she isn’t being given appropriate mental health care. Meadows has reportedly been diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depression and her time in jail has only exacerbated her symptoms.
Trumbull County Juvenile Court Judge Pamela Rintala denied Friedman’s motion to have Meadows released given that her trial is set to start in only two weeks.
“She believes that the release for trial only two weeks away doesn’t make sense,” Friedman told Huffington Post. “If the state looks to move the trial, however, that may be a different story. We will know tomorrow if the state is ready to proceed to trial on time.”
If there’s any silver lining in the tragic tale, it’s that Meadows is being charged as a juvenile and can only be held in custody until she turns 21-years-old. However, there’s a growing list of ways that this trial can be mishandled and send the wrong message to survivors of abuse and the world around them.