and don t like you for some reason. they just target in on you, and a lot of them have been in there for 10 months, 12 months. so they re already basically, you know, all settled in. and i m basically new. bernard is charged with threatening to kill and unlawful use of a firearm. for allegedly holding a bb gun pistol to his father s head. during the course of his arrest, he picked up additional charges of resisting and assault on police officers. he s pled not guilty to all and is awaiting trial. if i really think about the future, it really, being contained and not being able to see my family and just be way way overwhelming. adding to bernard s stress is the fact that he s housed in a maximum security unit. he says he spends most of his time in a cell and trusts no one. not even the inmate worker who used to cut his hair.
you can find examples just outside downtown, at the bergen county jail. he s cleared. while some of the men and women incarcerated here have been convicted, most are only charged with crimes and are awaiting trial and the resolution of their cases. this is like country club compared to my county. william bernard might disagree with the country club description. except for a brief stay for driving with a suspended license, this is his first extended stay in jail. bernard says his four months here have caused him panic attacks and worsened his stuttering. i would stutter sometimes when the anxiety level would get real high on the outside, but nothing like on a on a daily basis to where guys on the unit would be making fun of me because that s just, you know, the way i m talking every day. i guess some people look at you
belligerent and began fighting with three officers as they ascended the staircase. they said bernard attempted to jump down the stairs and landed face-first before sliding down to the landing. now bernard fears if his case goes to trial, his father will testify against him. just unbelievably unbelievably heartbroken and overwhelmed that i was actually put into a situation with my father, because i love my father. i m very family-oriented. it s just absolutely heartbreaking. while alcohol could have played a role in bernard s troubles, jail staff say lately they ve seen another drug leading to increased arrests, heroin. one of the key components to heroin being very popular, the opiate pills that are normally prescribed for pain are being abused by kids who eventually turn over to heroin because it costs a lot less money on the street.
max is ten years on my charges that i have. there may be criminal charges filed against inmate battaglia. more than likely not because of the small amount that was coming in. and being that the the return address was phoney, there s no way to determine who actually sent it in. battaglia does not know that yet. if they find me guilty, i m going to be upset because i can t risk another charge. instead of criminal charges, battaglia and his cellmate, who requested to remain anonymous, and each will be investigated and receive disciplinary hearings. how are you going to fight the case? my words. i m just going to tell the truth. the first place i would look is the bunky. coming up when you moved into the cell with battaglia, are you aware of him doing that? battaglia s bunky speaks out and william bernard is the subject of a jailhouse rumor. he is a [ bleep ] snitch. and then the rumor leads to
had my daughter we just had hurricane irene. the house was wiped out. and then the house was getting fixed, done, we moved back in. six weeks later, sandy came. it was just like a one-two punch. and then i started drinking, like, real pretty heavy. like, i won t deny it. on the night of his arrest, bernard says his father accused him of stealing his keys and wallet. when bernard denied doing so, he says a heated argument ensued. he he basically said that i i put a gun to his head and that i was going to kill him. which wasn t true. and when they came to arrest me, i was on the second floor of my home. and when they tried take me down to handcuff me, the three officers wound up throwing me down a flight of stairs by accident. and i split my head open, and i broke my two ribs. according to the arresting officer s report, bernard was