Judge Dismisses Murder Charge Against Rehab Center
The case revolved around the death of Gary Benefield, who died after he went to A Better Tomorrow seeking help. "There is no evidence that any of the defendants knew that their acts of giving medications to Benefield were dangerous to the extent that they risked killing him, and so no evidence that they consciously disregarded that risk to Benefield's life," Riverside County Superior Court Judge Elaine Kiefer wrote.
The Associated Press:
Murder Charges Against California Rehab Center Dismissed
A California judge dismissed a murder charge Friday filed against a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center where a man died after seeking help to treat a drinking problem. The case was the first time a California corporation was accused of murder, the facility's attorneys said. (3/19)
Los Angeles Times:
A Riverside County Judge Says A Detox Center Didn't Murder Its Client
A murder charge against a drug and alcohol rehab corporation and its employees in the death of a client was thrown out Friday by a Riverside County judge, sharply limiting a criminal case that had sent a jolt through California’s large drug and alcohol rehabilitation industry. The judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence for murder, but decided the state attorney general’s office could continue with dependent adult abuse charges against A Better Tomorrow and four of its employees. (Esquivel, 3/18)
In other health care news from around the state —
The Ventura County Star:
Agency Won't Have Role In Reforms It Pushed For Kids In Crisis
The Casa Pacifica agency called for an end to spotty services for suicidal children almost two years ago, advocated for state legislation and urged a state commission to focus on the issue. But the Camarillo-based nonprofit won't play any part in delivering the new continuum of services that could make Ventura County a leader in crisis care. (Wilson, 3/19)
The California Health Report:
Crowding On Skid Row Creates A Breeding Ground For Illnesses
A downtown development boom has brought pricey lofts, condos, nightspots and galleries to the center of the city and pushed homeless people into skid row, an area of some 40 city blocks where tents, cardboard boxes and people sleeping in the open air still line the sidewalks. Even though shelters, soup kitchens and social service agencies dominate the neighborhood, there are more people than shelter beds, and many people who simply refuse to go inside. People live their lives on the street in close quarters where sanitation is spotty. (Urevich, 3/21)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Taft Agrees To $250,000 Settlement Related To 2013 Sewage Overflow
The city of Taft has agreed to a $250,000 settlement stemming from a 2013 sewage spill the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board says threatened waterways and public health. As part of the settlement, the city is required to complete a pair of projects intended to minimize future overflows through early detection and response. (Cox, 3/18)