This time it's about an "impasse" on the negotiations between state prison officials/the NC Attorney General's Office and the Medical Board . . . about the state law requiring doctors to be present at executions. Never mind that the law violates ethical cannons.
But hey, it's Raleigh. WHO CARES ABOUT ETHICS?
A lawyer for the medical board, Thomas Mansfield, suggested prison officials submit questions to the full board for clarification on whether particular actions by the doctor could be cause for disciplinary action, (Special Deputy Attorney General Thomas) Pitman wrote.
That was lame: Nit-picking over what a doctor can do . . . not to kill somebody . . . when you're killing somebody.
However, prison officials were later told the board would not entertain such requests.
Wonderful! A second thought! Somebody over there finally grew a spine.
Doctors should not be in this mix. It's not the Medical Board that should be sued (although given the legal nastiness I endured because this Board doesn't defend duties it requires, I'd love to watch). It's a (bad) law that should be changed.
3/2 Update: More from the N&O. This excerpt caught my eye: Two state senators have introduced legislation to potentially fix the death penalty dispute.
Sen. Phil Berger, an Eden Republican, has sponsored a bill to prevent any medical professional from being disciplined for assisting an execution.
On the other hand, Sen. Eleanor Kinnaird, a Carrboro Democrat, has proposed delaying all executions until a legislative study committee reviews lethal injection.
Both lawmakers say it is unclear whether their bills will get a hearing.
Like I said, it's Raleigh. Some in the NC Legislature would like to take the quick, easy way out and allow the state to wave its wand in a fashion that absolves doctors of any legal/professional accountability for their actions in the death chamber.
WHO CARES ABOUT MEDICAL ETHICS?
0 comments:
Post a Comment