Attorneys seek to remove clients from 'unsafe' juvenile jail

Some clients released from Miami-Dade Regional Juvenile Detention Center on house arrest after teen's death

MIAMI – Miami-Dade County assistant public defenders were in court Thursday seeking to remove dozens of children whom they represent from what they call a dangerous juvenile detention center.

Chief assistant public defender Marie Osborne and her team asked a judge to release 18 clients from the Miami-Dade Regional Juvenile Detention Center after a weekend brawl that ultimately resulted in the death of a 17-year-old inmate.

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice said Elord Revolte was involved in an altercation with a number of other children Sunday. He was injured and taken to Holtz Children's Hospital, where he died the next day.

"With that kind of atmosphere of distrust in an institutional setting that is inherently unsafe and distrustful emotionally for children, I felt the best thing to do was to remove those kids," Osborne told Local 10 News.

Some of the juveniles were granted a release and will be placed on house arrest with an electronic monitoring device, although most requested to remain at the juvenile jail, fearing the alternative.

"'We know you don't feel safe, but you could potentially be direct filed. What do you want to do?'" Osborne said. "Most of them opted to just stay where they were rather than continue to be direct filed into an adult institution."

Osborne said the juvenile jail is "clearly a homicide crime scene" since Revolte's death.

"Staff are suspect. Children are suspect," Osborne said. "Staff are witnesses. Children are witnesses."

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