Certain criminal charges are obviously more serious than others. The most serious criminal charges are called felonies. A person usually faces a felony charge when they are eligible to receive penalties of more than one year in prison for a single offense.
One Portland doctor has been charged with a felony after a patient allegedly died because of the internist's actions. According to police, the 44-year-old doctor preformed cosmetic surgery on her friend and employee in December 2010.
Police claim that the doctor administered an anesthetic to the patient, who quickly complained of shortness of breath and chest pain. The patient then had a seizure and passed out. Furthermore, police claim, the doctor was performing the surgery after hours with no emergency equipment or support staff.
After the doctor called 911, the patient was transported to a hospital where she died four days later.
Recently, the doctor was charged with manslaughter stemming from the patient's death. On Aug. 28 the doctor pleaded not guilty to the charges and paid a $50,000 bond to be released from jail.
In this case, the passage of time between the death of the patient and the charges could cause issues. Over that large of a time span, memories can change and details may be lost. As a result it may be difficult to really prove what happened that night. Prosecutors will need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she acted inappropriately.
Furthermore, this is the first time in 18 years that a doctor has been criminally charged because of the death of a patient. There is the risk that prosecutors will want to make an example out of this doctor because the case is so rare. However, only the facts in this particular case should be used to determine wrongdoing.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, "Portland doctor charged in cosmetic-surgery death," Steven Dubois, Aug. 28, 2012
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