Female inmate allegedly beaten by prison guards, now paralyzed

OCALA, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - New allegations in the case of a Florida inmate whose attorneys claim she was beaten and left a quadriplegic by prison guards.

Cheryl Weimar's lawyers say DOC officers' at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala nearly bear her to death last month.

FDLE is investigating the guards' use of force while Weimar's attorneys sue the Florida Department of Corrections.

"We're concerned with coersion, threats, potential witness tampering," said John Vernaglia, who is representing Weimar and her husband.

Vernaglia says their team filed an emergency motion this week. He says DOC has complete control over who sees Weimar in the hospital and when.

"We know that there are individuals that are superiors of those who did this to Cheryl and they have access to her," Vernaglia explained. "They're directly denying our team from being able to show her documents, being able to give her get well letters, other symbols to show she has support."

On top of that, the motion states women inside Lowell who saw the beating are being threatened.

"Other inmates are thinking, ‘This could happen to me,' and they're intimidated. They're in fear that this could happen to them as well," Vernaglia said.

Florida DOC officials say the guards involved in the incident have been reassigned and are no longer in contact with inmates while the investigation is ongoing. DOC says it does not comment on pending litigation.

Vernaglia says Weimar will need 24/7 medical care for the rest of her life. She was supposed to be released from prison in 2021.