San Joaquin Coroner’s Office Rocked With Allegations Of Body Mix-Ups, Unnecessary Fees
A light has been shined on the behavior of the San Joaquin coroner following the abrupt resignation of two of the office's forensic pathologists last year.
KQED:
How Families In San Joaquin County Pay For Coroner Mistakes
The alleged mishandling of death investigations in San Joaquin County inflicted distress and extra costs on grieving families, wasted county resources and potentially impeded prosecutions — according to two forensic pathologists who quit performing autopsies for the sheriff-coroner last year. A KQED investigation into those allegations confirmed that the coroner’s office, under Sheriff Steve Moore, released the wrong bodies to families in 2016 and 2017, and once lost track of a body in the morgue for months. (Small, 2/8)
In other news from across the state —
Capital Public Radio:
California Nurse Puts Face On Billboards To Push Back Against ‘Abortion Reversal’ Science
A largely unstudied procedure intended to reverse pill-induced abortions is again causing an uproar between pro-choice and pro-life health care providers. ...There’s been very little scientific research on whether this actually works. The doctor who invented the procedure did find that it preserved pregnancy for most of his own patients. (Caiola, 2/8)
The Press-Enterprise:
California Family Sues Starbucks, Alleging They Were Served Blood-Tainted Drinks
A Redlands family claims a bleeding Starbucks barista tainted their drinks with blood in 2016 and left them with gnawing fears that they might contract a blood-borne disease, according to a lawsuit filed in San Bernardino County Superior Court .Blood tests for communicable diseases, including HIV, initially proved negative, but the lawsuit claims family members experienced “extreme distress” for months, including from the coffee giant’s seeming lack of care about their well being, according to the suit filed Jan. 30. An emailed statement from the Starbucks media relations team stated, “We are aware of this claim, that allegedly took place in 2016, and are prepared to present our case in court.” (Wesson, 2/8)