There's something wrong about this...

Lamplighter · 12-25-2010, 10:51 AM

NY Times

Daniel J. Langevin was 35, mentally ill and broke.
He had been living in psychiatric institutions on and off since his early 20s.
A friend who visited him at the Rochester Psychiatric Center in February 1995
remembered that Mr. Langevin had pain in his jaw, eye and face
that was not getting much attention from the staff.
A week later, he was discovered unconscious,
with a near-fatal infection spreading to his brain and other organs.
Mr. Langevin sued New York State, which operates the hospital,
and probably would have won a sizable award.

But the state countered by demanding that Mr. Langevin reimburse it
$1.7 million for 10 years of inpatient care he had received.

A judge sided with the state, and Mr. Langevin wound up with nothing.

DanaC · 12-25-2010, 11:00 AM

That's appalling.

wolf · 12-25-2010, 11:14 AM

That sucks in major ways, especially since the state had already been reimbursed for the fellow's care.

xoxoxoBruce · 12-30-2010, 12:53 AM

Wait a minute, this useless drag on society has been mooching off the state like forever. Then some underpaid, overworked employee makes one little boo boo, and now this parasite is entitled to get a shitload more money from the taxpayers, that he can't do anything with because he's not fit for public.
Where's the soylent green truck when ya need it.

TheMercenary · 12-30-2010, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Wait a minute, this useless drag on society has been mooching off the state like forever. Then some underpaid, overworked employee makes one little boo boo, and now this parasite is entitled to get a shitload more money from the taxpayers, that he can't do anything with because he's not fit for public.
Where's the soylent green truck when ya need it.

I guess they could have just gave him the hospital bill if he had won the money. That would have probably evened it up right there.

Sundae · 12-30-2010, 08:43 AM

Hang on - a living, breathing, thinking person who is not capable of living outside an institution should be penalised for having to do so?

I don't think he should have sued, because that doesn't help anyone (as he cannot spend the money himself, evidently) but whistle-blowing in this case is justified. But my understanding is that in America, whistles blown = lawsuits.

But hey, if he's so worthess just threaten to kill him.
I'm sure the furore raised by the Right to Live groups will fund him for the rest of his natural life.

TheMercenary · 12-30-2010, 09:20 AM

Funding for our whole mental health system is broken, like most everything else. Things get missed. And often those things have little to do with gross negligence as most ambulance chasers would like you to believe.

Sundae · 12-30-2010, 10:27 AM

Our mental health system is also shot to shit.
"Care in the community" basically meant releasing people who could not cope with daily life and giving them accommodation and money, but little or no support. Oh they got their drugs paid for alright. But many - MANY - only took them with familial intervention.

But then institutions were cruel places too, preventing those who could live outside from ever having the opportunity to prove it.

I've yet to hear of any country who have been able to reach a reasonable balance. But I'd look to the Netherlands or New Zealand as examples. No, I've no idea how they handle it - I just know them to follow ideals pretty close to my own much of the time.

TheMercenary · 12-30-2010, 10:32 AM

Oh, we release ours too. But I think most of them end up in the jail.

xoxoxoBruce · 12-30-2010, 01:59 PM

Or living under a bridge.

Gravdigr · 01-02-2011, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Wait a minute, this useless drag on society has been mooching off the state like forever. Then some underpaid, overworked employee makes one little boo boo, and now this parasite is entitled to get a shitload more money from the taxpayers, that he can't do anything with because he's not fit for public.
Where's the soylent green truck when ya need it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Or living under a bridge.

If you ever find yourself in either situation, I hope someone helps you.

Because no one helped me.

Lamplighter · 01-13-2011, 05:47 PM

Yesterday I learned a man was just found guilty of a sexual offense against a young boy.
Sentencing will be in a couple of weeks, and he faces several years in prison.

He is well known and had a good reputation for his civic services
The particular event took place more than 10 years ago
His arrest and trial were widely publicized throughout the area
No other complaints have came forward from other children or adults

My surprise was the the jury verdict was 11 to 1.

Is not that one jury-person's "NO" vote a de facto statement that
the prosecution did not prove guilt conclusively, and there is still
reasonable doubt ?

Thinking beyond this man's case...
I did not know that when a person's liberty is at risk,
a guilty verdict could be brought even if the jury is not unanimous.
Is it a simple majority (7-5), a super-majority (8-4), or some other magic number ?

Shawnee123 · 12-30-2010, 02:07 PM

Or going to school here.

Lamplighter · 12-30-2010, 02:12 PM

In the US, it's just one legacy from our Governor and President,
Ronald Regan... De-institutionalize, then cut $ for meds and small group homes.

Trilby · 12-30-2010, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

In the US, it's just one legacy from our Governor and President,
Ronald Regan... De-institutionalize, then cut $ for meds and small group homes.

Ketchup is a vegetable!

Good ol' Ronnie...

12-25-2010, 10:51 AM	#1
Lamplighter Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Bottom lands of the Missoula floods Posts: 6,402	There's something wrong about this... NY Times Daniel J. Langevin was 35, mentally ill and broke. He had been living in psychiatric institutions on and off since his early 20s. A friend who visited him at the Rochester Psychiatric Center in February 1995 remembered that Mr. Langevin had pain in his jaw, eye and face that was not getting much attention from the staff. A week later, he was discovered unconscious, with a near-fatal infection spreading to his brain and other organs. Mr. Langevin sued New York State, which operates the hospital, and probably would have won a sizable award. But the state countered by demanding that Mr. Langevin reimburse it $1.7 million for 10 years of inpatient care he had received. A judge sided with the state, and Mr. Langevin wound up with nothing.

12-25-2010, 11:14 AM	#3
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	That sucks in major ways, especially since the state had already been reimbursed for the fellow's care. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

12-30-2010, 12:53 AM	#4
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Wait a minute, this useless drag on society has been mooching off the state like forever. Then some underpaid, overworked employee makes one little boo boo, and now this parasite is entitled to get a shitload more money from the taxpayers, that he can't do anything with because he's not fit for public. Where's the soylent green truck when ya need it. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

12-30-2010, 08:43 AM	#6
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	Hang on - a living, breathing, thinking person who is not capable of living outside an institution should be penalised for having to do so? I don't think he should have sued, because that doesn't help anyone (as he cannot spend the money himself, evidently) but whistle-blowing in this case is justified. But my understanding is that in America, whistles blown = lawsuits. But hey, if he's so worthess just threaten to kill him. I'm sure the furore raised by the Right to Live groups will fund him for the rest of his natural life. __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

12-30-2010, 09:20 AM	#7
TheMercenary “Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo” Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Savannah, Georgia Posts: 21,393	Funding for our whole mental health system is broken, like most everything else. Things get missed. And often those things have little to do with gross negligence as most ambulance chasers would like you to believe. __________________ Anyone but the this most fuked up President in History in 2012!

12-30-2010, 10:27 AM	#8
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	Our mental health system is also shot to shit. "Care in the community" basically meant releasing people who could not cope with daily life and giving them accommodation and money, but little or no support. Oh they got their drugs paid for alright. But many - MANY - only took them with familial intervention. But then institutions were cruel places too, preventing those who could live outside from ever having the opportunity to prove it. I've yet to hear of any country who have been able to reach a reasonable balance. But I'd look to the Netherlands or New Zealand as examples. No, I've no idea how they handle it - I just know them to follow ideals pretty close to my own much of the time. __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

12-30-2010, 10:32 AM	#9
TheMercenary “Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo” Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Savannah, Georgia Posts: 21,393	Oh, we release ours too. But I think most of them end up in the jail. __________________ Anyone but the this most fuked up President in History in 2012!

12-30-2010, 01:59 PM	#10
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Or living under a bridge. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

01-13-2011, 05:47 PM	#12
Lamplighter Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Bottom lands of the Missoula floods Posts: 6,402	guilty within reason doubt ? Yesterday I learned a man was just found guilty of a sexual offense against a young boy. Sentencing will be in a couple of weeks, and he faces several years in prison. He is well known and had a good reputation for his civic services The particular event took place more than 10 years ago His arrest and trial were widely publicized throughout the area No other complaints have came forward from other children or adults My surprise was the the jury verdict was 11 to 1. Is not that one jury-person's "NO" vote a de facto statement that the prosecution did not prove guilt conclusively, and there is still reasonable doubt ? Thinking beyond this man's case... I did not know that when a person's liberty is at risk, a guilty verdict could be brought even if the jury is not unanimous. Is it a simple majority (7-5), a super-majority (8-4), or some other magic number ?

12-30-2010, 02:07 PM	#13
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Or going to school here. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

12-30-2010, 02:12 PM	#14
Lamplighter Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Bottom lands of the Missoula floods Posts: 6,402	In the US, it's just one legacy from our Governor and President, Ronald Regan... De-institutionalize, then cut $ for meds and small group homes.

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