Murder Charges Against Rehab Center a First in California

[n2doc]

Source: Fox 40

MURRIETA, Calif. (AP) — A Riverside County grand jury has indicted a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for murder after the death of a man who was seeking help to treat a drinking problem.

Attorneys for A Better Tomorrow say it is the first time in California history that a corporation has been accused of murder.

The Los Angeles Times reports Sunday the second-degree murder charges against A Better Tomorrow and four of its employees sent a jolt through California’s drug and rehabilitation industry.

Prosecutors argue that the company, in its drive for profits, accepted to treat Gary Benefield, a client it was not prepared to care for and killed him by not refilling his oxygen.

Read more: http://fox40.com/2016/02/28/murder-charges-against-rehab-center-a-first-in-california/

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[LiberalArkie]

1. Talk about a precedant if the Prosecutors win.

[FarPoint]

2. Sounds like the clinical conditions of the patient fell to negligence.

Interesting ....I'll try and follow this case...

[iandhr]

3. I don't get it.

Last edited Mon Feb 29, 2016, 12:31 PM - Edit history (1)

If the coroner said the victim "died of natural causes" how is it murder and not negligance?

[King_Klonopin]

8. Right. That is negligence (criminal) and malpractice, but not murder. nt

[csziggy]

4. Much more comprehensive story here

Murder charges against rehab center are a first in California

Gary Benefield was in rough shape when a driver from the substance abuse treatment company A Better Tomorrow met him at the San Diego airport in 2010.

It was the day before his 53rd birthday. The longtime smoker had recently been hospitalized for pneumonia and was tethered to an oxygen tank, which he had relied on for years. He was seeking treatment for a drinking problem and had signed himself up for a round of detox and rehab.

Sometime that night, he collapsed by his bed at a Murrieta residential facility and died. The house manager, who was supposed to check on him regularly, had fallen asleep. Benefield's body was found in the morning.

The family sued, reaching an out-of-court settlement.
More: http://www.latimes.com/local/crime/la-me-rehab-murder-charge-20160228-story.html

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

11. There are machines he could have been hooked up to that don't "run out of Oxygen."

My Dad was hooked to one before he died. We had tanks for backup if power went out. Hospice brought it all to his house.

[csziggy]

13. I know - my MIL has had one for years

She has a long hose that follows her everywhere in her house - or did until she went to the hospital for bronchitis in December. She hasn't made it home again yet and is in a nursing home/rehab facility now

The machine also will fill small bottles so she can go places.

Either the man had not gotten the right machine or the treatment place had not let him bring it in.

[mpcamb]

5. Can a corporation be jailed? Put on death row? Do we need to check with a recently deceased

SCOTUS judge on that?
I mean if a corporation is a person and money is speech...

[liberalhistorian]

6. I say why the hell not?

If corporations are endowed with "personhood" with all of the consequent legal rights, then, hell yes, they can and should also be charged with murder when it is warranted.

[jmowreader]

9. They should be able to be dissolved

[TexasBushwhacker]

7. Sorry, but WTF?

Who's going to jail if found guilty? The head of the company? They guy who fell asleep?

[Crowman1979]

10. More free-market capitalism at work.

[Initech]

12. Hey if Citizens United says corporations are people...

Can we start filing murder charges? Can we arrest them and throw them in prison? I think I finally see an upside to Citizens United!