Opposing view: Katrina was no excuse

Fri Jul 27, 12:21 AM ET
By Charles Foti
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The American justice system should work on the simple premise of "equal justice for all." The charges brought against Dr. Anna Pou were based on fact, not standing or contacts. The evidence was collected by numerous investigators over thousands of hours.
Before an arrest, this evidence was brought to a criminal judge and tested for sufficient probable cause that homicides had been committed. The judge found the evidence sufficient.
On Sept. 1, 2005, all nine patients on one floor in a LifeCare facility housed at Memorial Medical Center died within a 3 hour period. According to Dr. James Young, chief coroner of Ontario, Canada, and president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, that is "beyond coincidence."
All nine patients had survived for over three days following Hurricane Katrina. All nine of those patients were found by multiple physicians to have significant drug toxicity from morphine or a combination of morphine and Versed.
Medical doctors — including two pathologists, a coroner, an oncologist who specializes in palliative care and a bioethicist — were consulted. These respected professionals have given opinions that the manner of death was homicide.
My office became involved after eyewitnesses self-reported the facts to my office. My office has a unit that is obligated by federal law to investigate claims of abuse of elderly people upon receipt of reports such as the ones we received from the eyewitnesses.
Moreover, it's my job as attorney general to make sure the elderly are not abused, and to ensure the law was followed. Homicide is illegal in this state, and euthanasia is illegal in this state. Eyewitness accounts are part of evidence that is now being requested through public records requests by media.
Would that and other evidence from the experts have made a difference if presented to the grand jury? No one knows, but a matter of justice for the victims who died requires that the evidence be presented.
While you may argue that Dr. Pou was under immense pressure, is this an excuse for her alleged actions? I cannot accept this argument. What is the value of human life? What circumstances justify taking human lives? These are the questions this case raises.
For my part, I will stand for human life and the victims of crime.