5 ms·

The worse thing about reading this is that none of it surprised me (even him getting billed for it). The article didn't mention if any disciplinary action happe

The worse thing about reading this is that none of it surprised me (even him getting billed for it). The article didn't mention if any disciplinary action happened to the cops but I'm guessing none.

colinbartlett 13y ago
Even if there was disciplinary action, there was certainly not criminal prosecution. It's well documented that police who commit crimes (perhaps in this case detention, rape) are far less likely to be prosecuted.
gst 13y ago
I wonder if and how such a bill would be legally enforceable. He never requested any services from the hospital and he also never got into a emergency condition where the hospital was forced to safe his life. It's like if a random person cuts your hair off on the street and then charges you a barber service.
- girvo 13y ago
  What I wanna know is, if he refused to the medical procedures, aren't the doctors committing a crime by forcing them on him against his will?
  - foobarian 13y ago
    Wondering this too. They basically raped him, it's just that there is no prosecution. Is there any way for concerned out-of-county or even out-of-state citizens to trigger prosecution at a federal level?
    - dangrossman 13y ago
      Federal prosecutors generally have no jurisdiction unless the crime involves crossing state borders, national security, a federal employee, or occurred on federal property. Raping an ordinary citizen does not violate any federal law, it's a state issue.
      - yardie 13y ago
        Civil rights cases are federal since in the past states wouldn't prosecute them. If he was a protected minority class (black, native american, woman) he'd have a federal case.
- colinbartlett 13y ago
  "Bill 'em all and let god sort it out" is pretty much the M.O. of every American medical institution. It probably would not be legally enforceable. And it's probable the hospital never actually expected to get any of it.
- RexRollman 13y ago
  I've been following this story since last year and that is what I am wondering about as well. The procedures were performed at the request of law enforcement, so the way I see it, law enforcement should be responsible for any charges incurred. Maybe there needs to be something in the law that people can't be billed under these circumstances.
  - FireBeyond 13y ago
    This made me ponder, too. As a paramedic, we are often called to our County Jail. If the patient is in custody, the bill is sent to the County. If they didn't anticipate the patient being in custody much longer (awaiting a bail hearing, or drunk or such), they'd often start arranging their release after calling us. This would have handy "side effects", namely if they thought the patient was faking it, "now you're not in custody, you're going to get all these bills - still have chest pain?" That practice has been discontinued though. Some patients discovered that once off County property, they could AMA (refuse care against medical advice) and we'd have to let them go...
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

The worse thing about reading this is that none of it surprised me (even him getting billed for it). The article didn't mention if any disciplinary action happened to the cops but I'm guessing none.

colinbartlett 13y ago

Even if there was disciplinary action, there was certainly not criminal prosecution. It's well documented that police who commit crimes (perhaps in this case detention, rape) are far less likely to be prosecuted.

gst 13y ago

I wonder if and how such a bill would be legally enforceable. He never requested any services from the hospital and he also never got into a emergency condition where the hospital was forced to safe his life. It's like if a random person cuts your hair off on the street and then charges you a barber service.

girvo 13y ago
What I wanna know is, if he refused to the medical procedures, aren't the doctors committing a crime by forcing them on him against his will?
- foobarian 13y ago
  Wondering this too. They basically raped him, it's just that there is no prosecution. Is there any way for concerned out-of-county or even out-of-state citizens to trigger prosecution at a federal level?
  - dangrossman 13y ago
    Federal prosecutors generally have no jurisdiction unless the crime involves crossing state borders, national security, a federal employee, or occurred on federal property. Raping an ordinary citizen does not violate any federal law, it's a state issue.
    - yardie 13y ago
      Civil rights cases are federal since in the past states wouldn't prosecute them. If he was a protected minority class (black, native american, woman) he'd have a federal case.
colinbartlett 13y ago
"Bill 'em all and let god sort it out" is pretty much the M.O. of every American medical institution. It probably would not be legally enforceable. And it's probable the hospital never actually expected to get any of it.
RexRollman 13y ago
I've been following this story since last year and that is what I am wondering about as well. The procedures were performed at the request of law enforcement, so the way I see it, law enforcement should be responsible for any charges incurred. Maybe there needs to be something in the law that people can't be billed under these circumstances.
- FireBeyond 13y ago
  This made me ponder, too. As a paramedic, we are often called to our County Jail. If the patient is in custody, the bill is sent to the County. If they didn't anticipate the patient being in custody much longer (awaiting a bail hearing, or drunk or such), they'd often start arranging their release after calling us. This would have handy "side effects", namely if they thought the patient was faking it, "now you're not in custody, you're going to get all these bills - still have chest pain?" That practice has been discontinued though. Some patients discovered that once off County property, they could AMA (refuse care against medical advice) and we'd have to let them go...

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]