2009

Justice Delayed? Again…

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On August 1, USC Sociologist Karen Sternheimer was interviewed on National Public Radio regarding celebrity doctors and the possible peril they pose to those they are entrusted to heal. In the cases of Michael Jackson and Anna Nicole Smith, Hippocrates himself might cringe at what he would see as a breach of the sacred, ethics-based oath that bears his name which doctors are sworn to uphold. Were their physicians so seduced by the lure of celebrity they stroked their patients’ egos in plying them with an overabundance of pharmaceuticals? A fine line is drawn between patient care and endeavoring to remain in the celebrity’s employ and “inner circle”, as well as using that status to build cache in the community and their medical practices. When sizeable amounts of money and reputations are at stake, can these doctors risk alienating  patients by not catering to their every whim?  MJ and ANS are neither the first, nor the last celebrity patients of this questionable pursuit of wellness.  It was announced MJ’s mother is considering filing a wrongful death suit against Conrad Murray who is already the focus of a manslaughter investigation.  This litigation coupled with ANS’s physicians, who are already on the Read More …

Recent Post Disrespecting Your Elders, One Dollar At A Time

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California has joined the disturbing trend of sweeping unsuspecting seniors clean of their estates.  Elder estate abuse is an addendum to physical or mental abuse of our nation’s geriatric population, typically when a sizeable amount of money stands to be gained by unscrupulous characters. According to the California State Bar’s website, elder abuse involves various crimes, such as theft, assault, and identity theft that strike victims of all ages.  But when the victim is 65 years of age or older, or, a disabled dependent adult, the criminal faces stiffer penalties.  Greed, bolstered by a lackluster economy, was certainly coursing through the veins of San Juan Capistrano’s Jeffrey Butler. In the 1990s, Butler started Senior Information Services, to purportedly offer seniors help with estate planning.  Fast forward to 2009, where he faces 874 felony counts of fraud and is accused of bilking 125 seniors of more than $11 million. Oftentimes, estate abuse isn’t limited to seniors; it also distinguishes itself from other crimes in that, over 50% of the time, its victims have familial or fiduciary ties to the perpetrators.  Look no further to the raging battles with Anna Nicole Smith and Michael Jackson for proof.  Lady Justice is disgusted with Read More …