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Ear to the Ground

Grand Jury Rejects Katrina ‘Mercy Killing’ Charges

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Posted on Jul 24, 2007

In a case of life imitating art and vice versa, a New Orleans grand jury refused Tuesday to indict a doctor for the alleged mercy killing of four critically ill patients during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Anna Pou maintained her innocence throughout the affair, which was recently fictionalized by the left-leaning drama “Boston Legal.”


AP via New York Times:

A grand jury refused on Tuesday to indict a doctor accused of murdering four seriously ill hospital patients with drug injections during the desperate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, closing the books on the only mercy-killing case to emerge from the storm.

Dr. Anna Pou acknowledged administering medication to the patients but insisted she did so only to relieve pain.

Pou (pronounced “Poh”) and two nurses were arrested last summer after Attorney General Charles Foti concluded they gave “lethal cocktails” to four patients at the flooded-out, sweltering Memorial Medical Center after the August 2005 storm.

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farmertx's avatar

By farmertx, July 25, 2007 at 5:06 am Link to this comment

Actually, in this instance, I don’t see that her reputation was really harmed. No doubt her bank account took a hit, having to hire lawyer’s and being without employment.
But, in my mind, she showed that she was willing to use common sense, rather than blindly follow procedures…procedures that could have never taken into account what she faced.
Would any of us, or any thinking person, hesitate to have her as a doctor? I sure as heck wouldn’t, although I can’t afford to see a doctor.

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By cyrena, July 25, 2007 at 4:42 am Link to this comment

Comment#89300 by THOMAS BILLIS on 7/24 at 11:11 pm

Oh yeah…It WAS weak as shit. And you question is of the utmost importance,....

Where does she go to get her reputation back.

Where, exactly, does she or the other thousands go, after such a smear.? They do this stuff to citizens every DAY. And, it’s always our bravest ones. The ones we need the most.

SOB’s…

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By THOMAS BILLIS, July 25, 2007 at 12:11 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

A new York judge once said” a good d.a. can get a ham sandwich indicted”.So this case must have been weak as shit.Where does she go to get her reputation back.

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farmertx's avatar

By farmertx, July 24, 2007 at 5:10 pm Link to this comment

I don’t see it as a matter of his wanting justice as much as he wanted some political hay to be made.
Luckily, the Juror’s saw the reality of the situation and voted accordingly.
I lost my wife to cancer and had to watch her fade away as Terri Schiavo (sp?) did. The doc told me that was the humane way to end life, by starvation and dehydration. Sure didn’t seem humane to me and her family.

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RAE's avatar

By RAE, July 24, 2007 at 4:39 pm Link to this comment

“Attorney General Charles Foti concluded they gave ‘’lethal cocktails’’ to four patients at the flooded-out, sweltering Memorial Medical Center after the August 2005 storm.”

Foti should be on his knees PRAYING that any physician monitoring his dying hours has the COMMON SENSE to know that it is a PROFOUND KINDNESS to administer a “lethal cocktail” when it is clear no recovery is possible and suffering is the only thing a dying person has to look forward to.

What is with people? If we DON’T euthanize a suffering animal, we face charges. If we DON’T allow our loved ones to SUFFER, SUFFER, SUFFER, we face charges. This is ridiculous. EVERY DAY in almost EVERY HOSPITAL in the WORLD physicians “ease” a person’s departure from this world with the drugs at their disposal. WHY DO WE ALL PRETEND THIS IS NOT HAPPENING?

Why can’t our legislators find language that not only PROTECTS the rights of individuals to choose when and how they wish to die and PROTECT from prosecution those COMPETENT, LICENSED PROFESSIONALS who have the knowledge and ability to bring about a peaceful end when legitimately requested to do so?

Sometimes our “advanced” society is about as smart as a BRICK.

I, for one, wish the world to know that I, and ONLY I, am IN CHARGE of my LIFE and my DYING where possible. I expressly deny any other - individual, organization, religion, legislature or court - permission to override my decisions regarding my own death. Oh, they can make their rules and laws, but I can assure you, I DO NOT INTEND TO SUBMIT TO THEM - EVER!

To this end, I have taken all necessary steps to ensure I maintain this control over MY life and that NO OTHER will have the opportunity to interfere. I wish I could tell you exactly how to achieve this status - but I’d likely be arrested by the goon squads if I did.

Being a member of society doesn’t mean I turn over control of my life and death to it.

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