Prisoner Got Adequate Care, Doctor Says : Denies Earlier Comments That Treatment Led to Inmate’s Death

A doctor who reviewed the medical records of John Franklin Wilcox--who was killed at the Orange County Jail four months ago--testified Monday that the inmate had received adequate medical care at the jail.

The testimony surprised lawyers for Jerry Thomas Pick, 23, who is accused of killing the 71-year-old Wilcox and Arthur Oviedo, 25, both his cellmates, in separate incidents in January. The lawyers believed that the physician, Dr. David Powers, would support earlier critical comments attributed to him in a panel report about the deaths.

However, Powers, chief of medical services at UCI Medical Center, testified Monday that the report either misquoted him or took his statements out of context.

Defense attorney Milton C. Grimes was relying on a medical report that came out of a committee meeting Powers had attended and which quoted him as saying: “I strongly believe that the cause of death (of Wilcox) was encouraged by lack of care.”

Powers testified at Pick’s preliminary hearing Monday that he never made that statement.

Also, he said, his only criticism of Wilcox’s jail medical care was that after the nurses had been told there was a man down, cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques might have been used more quickly.

Powers was a member of an ad hoc committee put together by Sheriff Brad Gates to advise him on the causes of death of Wilcox, Oviedo and two other department-related deaths.

Prosecutors contend that Pick kicked Wilcox in the ribs hard enough during an argument to contribute to his death. They also have physical evidence to show that Pick used his own shoelaces to strangle Oviedo and then relaced his shoes.

Grimes contends that Wilcox may have died because, before the alleged stomping, he received inadequate medical care at the jail.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Bryan F. Brown argued throughout that Grimes’ questioning of Powers was irrelevant. Although Central Municipal Judge James Brooks several times showed his impatience with Grimes’ questions, he let him continue.

Powers did say that he agreed with another doctor on the committee that there was room to criticize the care Wilcox had received for his mental illness. Powers said he thought that Wilcox should have been given increased medication.

Grimes, flustered at Powers answers, at one point asked the doctor if he felt he had to “rubber stamp” the Sheriff’s Department’s findings on the Wilcox death.

“No,” Powers said calmly.

Powers damaged Grimes’ position even more on cross-examination.

Powers told prosecutor Brown that Wilcox’s death must have been the result of “a rather significant blow,” consistent with a kicking.

Pick’s preliminary hearing continues today, when Grimes expects to call other members of the committee to talk about the jail’s medical care of Wilcox.