Deputies Accused In Inmate's Death Ordered To Stay Away From Santa Clara Co. Jails
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- Three correctional deputies charged with murder in an inmate's death in August were ordered today to stay 300 yards away from Santa Clara County jails.
Jereh Lubrin, 28, Matthew Farris, 27, and Rafael Rodriguez, 27, appeared before Judge Allison Danner on charges of murder in the death of Michael James Tyree, 31, and assault under the color of authority on Juan Villa at the Main Jail's sixth floor.
The deputies appeared at the Hall of Justice in San Jose dressed in suits and with their respective attorneys out of custody on $1.5 million bail each.
Danner ordered all three defendants to have no contact with the 54 inmates who witnessed the allegedly fatal beating and to stay 300 yards away from the county's Main Jail and Elmwood facilities.
All three men waived their right to a preliminary hearing within 60 days and were scheduled to appear in court for a plea hearing and preliminary hearing on Nov. 9.
Paula Canny, an attorney representing Tyree's family and Villa, said she hopes the case will open the dialogue about the costs of incarcerating people who are mentally ill instead of hospitalizing them.
The 31-year-old's family is "still heartbroken and sad and everyday miss their brother," she said.
Since Tyree' death, the three defendants and five other correctional deputies have been placed on paid administrative leave, sheriff's officials said.
Two of the five other correctional deputies were Ryan Saunders, who allegedly looked up people he personally knew on the Criminal Justice Information Control database, and Mark Navarette, who allegedly filed a false claim for Workers Compensation, according to sheriff's officials.
The sheriff's office announced earlier this month that they are investigating nearly 100 jail complaints since Tyree died, with help from retired internal affairs detectives and the FBI, which is also running its an independent investigation into excessive force incidents.
The county's board of supervisors are also working on improving safety in the jails including expanding the surveillance camera system. The county is also in the process of forming a blue ribbon commission dedicated to reviewing custody operations and making recommendations to the board.
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