Our Supremes have a hot new issue on their docket: setting precedent for the mishandling of human remains. A 29-year-old man from the U.K. flew down to Vegas in 2005 for a bachelor party. It must have been one hell of a party - because he died. Acute cocaine and alcohol intoxication were found to be the cause of death, so at least he went happy.
Anyhoo ... the U.K. man had his autopsy performed by the Clark County coroner's office, and his body was subsequently wrapped and shipped back to the Queen. However, when it arrived it was slightly lighter because the man's body was missing its heart, brain, liver, kidneys and lungs.
The facts sound a little like some overzealous torts professor's res ipsa hypothetical:
The family alleges that the coroner’s office took or lost the organs, falsely claimed to have turned them over to the cremation society, and conspired with that company to conceal the whereabouts of the organs. The family also alleges that cremation employees stuffed a sheet inside the body to conceal the fact that the organs were missing.The coroner's office denied wrongdoing, stating that the form was inadvertently marked stating that the organs were not with the body and later corrected. The coroner also cited a deposition from a mortuary employee who said the organs were placed in the body cavity and “powdered down with a hardening compound.”
The family also alleges that another defendant, coroner employee Monique Beverly, initially completed a release form indicating that the organs were not with the body when they were released to the embalmer. She then corrected the form to indicate that the organs were placed in a bag and transported with the body, the family said.
The case has been handed to our Supremes by U.S. District Court Judge Phillip Pro. When Judge Pro needed to make rulings based on state law, he discovered (shockingly) that Nevada had none. Therefore, Pro asked our Supremes to hear arguments from all parties involved so that it could establish a legal precedent.
We look forward to the explanation of Nevada's new judicially-mandated organ tracking procedure.
(LV Sun)
Nothing better than seeing a picture of Slim Goodbody in the morning.
ReplyDeleteNavarro is in senate hearing today.
ReplyDeleteanyone read the piece about how regulated markets for organ donations actually increases availability and survivial rates?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if CC is trying to makeup a budget shortfall. Headline tomorrow..."Coroner selling organs for medical testing."
Are Awand and Gage going to trial next week? Who is following this?
ReplyDeleteWonder if Mastromarino had some friends in LV. The timing is right.
ReplyDeletehttp://nymag.com/news/features/22326/
10:34:
ReplyDeleteI just looked this up, because I was wondering the same thing. It looks like the trial was kicked another couple weeks until February 24. Can anybody confirm this?
I can confirm Awand/Gage is going the 24th
ReplyDeleteHaving regulated markets for organ donations is discussed favorably in the book "Superfreakonomics," which cites Iran as an example of having a regulated market for organs.
ReplyDeleteFreakeconomics states that the diminishing of crime in the 1990's was due to the legalization of abortion. The Tipping Point said that the cracking down of graffti in the subways and fixing the "broken windows" of crime was the actual cause. That said, you have to love both perspectives. Selling organs on the market would definitely be good for the wealthy. I'm going to start saving for a new liver.
ReplyDeleteAcute cocaine and alcohol intoxication were found to be the cause of death, so at least he went happy
ReplyDeleteThere but for the grace of God go I. I hope the poor guy is resting in peace.
Is there any truth to the rumor that Elle Woods ended up with the man's penis?
ReplyDelete@3:01-you're an ass- leave Elle alone (:
ReplyDeleteYeah @3:10 leave Elle alone. By the way, we're shocked that someone at Glen Lerner's office can spell 'penis.' There was a murder trial this morning did any of you bother to go????????????? P.S. Hi Corey, wtf were you thinking?
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