Douglas Kennedy, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, charged with hospital assault

Media Spy ^ | 2-26-2012 | Tim Blight

[smoothsailing]

Fox News reporter charged with hospital assault

Tim Blight

February 26, 2012

Douglas Kennedy, Fox News correspondent and son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, has been charged with assault after a 7 January incident in a New York hospital.

2 nurses at the Mt Kisco hospital alleged that Kennedy became violent after they tried to prevent him from taking his newborn son Bo outside of the ward. Kennedy says he wanted to "get some fresh air" and had already received permission from other nurses on duty, Reuters reports.

The confrontation began after nurses issued a "code pink", an alert that someone is attempting to abduct a baby. The incident was partially caught on surveillance camera; although obscured by a doorway, nurse Cari Luciano can be seen falling to the ground.

Luciano stated that Kennedy "raised his right foot and with tremendous force kicked [her] in the pelvis area". Another nurse, Anna Lane, accused the New York-based journalist of twisting her arm, although this appears off screen on the surveillance video.

Kennedy has been charged with harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.

Kennedy and his wife have labeled accusations "absurd" in an interview with NBC New York. His lawyer, Robert Gottlieb, called the altercation the result of "aggressive and grossly inappropriate behavior by two nurses".

"Whatever Douglas did came about only because the nurse was lunging to grab his child from his arms. What Douglas did was simply to protect his baby," he added.

A date for the hearing has not yet been announced.

[smoothsailing]

Sounds like he let his longtime friendship get in the way of his common sense. Lord knows I’ve made that mistake before.

[kaila]

I am a nurse, and I am married to a doctor.
He would not throw his weight around on a unit not in the hospital he practices, or in an area not in his field of expertise.
You are the one who knows very little about how the medical field is run.

[Hot Tabasco]

they were that concerned about an 'abduction', one or both of them could have accompanied the parent and kept the infant in sight

They tried, that's the subject of this article. It's Mr. Kennedy's attorney's allegation that a nurse tried to grab the baby from Mr. Kennedy's arms as he tried to enter the elevator unauthorized.

The video disputes that claim and shows the result of Mr. Kennedy's kicking of a nurse that tried to prevent him from leaving with a baby he claimed was his........

[Sloth]

I doubt that “lunging” is part of the protocol, either.

[mkjessup]

You can't be a nurse, you must be an attorney to know so much.

You forgot that part where the defense attorney directs that ER Physician to explain for the jury how the two nurses in question were the aggressors in this incident.

You continue to assume that the State of New York is going to expend vast sums of money on a misdemeanor case, so answer this question F. Leigh Bailey ('Leigh' used in deference to your gender), why do you think felony charges were not filed against Douglas Kennedy? They certainly had enough time to review the evidence since they didn't file the charges until this past week, what's your expert legal opinion on that?

[linn37]

Yeah thats the ticket she was on a power trip and not really enforcing hospital rules so she deserves to a good kick to the groin. full sarcasm alert.

[mkjessup]

I am a nurse, and I am married to a doctor.

Nah, I don't think so, I think you picked up all this jargon and pseudo knowledge from sitting around watching General Hospital and eating bon-bons.

He would not throw his weight around on a unit not in the hospital he practices, or in an area not in his field of expertise.

I don't think your hubby is a doctor either. I think he pumps gas down at the local Exxon-Mobil station.

You are the one who knows very little about how the medical field is run.

I know how the Constitution runs, and how you would prefer to wipe your ass with it rather than to see the rights of the accused given the benefit of due process.

[wintertime]

what’s your expert legal opinion on that?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This is a politically well connected family.

[ladyjane]

You seem to be either uninformed or misinformed about the workings of hospitals.

ER docs aren’t exactly the highest status docs in the hospital. Granted, they have a very tough job and yes they are God in the ER. This particular physician had no authority outside of his department. None. Zero.

Kennedy is a jerk. He was the one who endangered his child so he could go outside - probably for a cigarette. The three day old baby needed fresh air? Where is he going to find fresh air in NY? LOL

[mkjessup]

what’s your expert legal opinion on that?

This is a politically well connected family.

Sorry, I'm waiting for the expert opinion of F. Leigh Bailey.

[wintertime]

what's your expert legal opinion on that?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This is a politically well connected family.

It's a down on the Animal Farm thing. Families like Kennedy and Obama live in the farmer’ house. We commoners get the barn. OINK!

[mkjessup]

You seem to be either uninformed or misinformed about the workings of hospitals.

Oh goody, I've been waiting all day for you to arrive and educate me on this topic.

ER docs aren’t exactly the highest status docs in the hospital.

Be sure and tell the ER Doc that if you should find yourself being wheeled in some night in need of his services, LOL

Granted, they have a very tough job and yes they are God in the ER.

How very gracious of you.

This particular physician had no authority outside of his department. None. Zero.

We'll see how his testimony is received IF this all goes to trial.

Kennedy is a jerk. He was the one who endangered his child so he could go outside - probably for a cigarette. The three day old baby needed fresh air? Where is he going to find fresh air in NY? LOL

Ropes, torches and pick axes! The line forms to the
LEFT

(the lynch mob already has many volunteers, would you be willing to form a second backup mob? just let one of the *HEH agitators know, ok?) [*HEH - 'Hang Em High']

[kaila]

Believe what you want, I am a nurse, and have said that in other threads.
As a nurse, we have to be somewhat informed in medical -legal issues because of the increasing amounts of lawsuits directed to the health care industry.
Also, the hospitals train us in preventing lawsuits by proper documentation, and following policies and procedures put in place by hospital administration and the attorneys on staff at the hospital.
My husband is a physician, Harvard educated- a far cry from pumping gas.
The last time I saw General Hospital was when I was a college student. They spent all their time looking great at the nurses station, chatting up the latest hunk on the show.
The reality of nursing is understaffing, no time for bathroom breaks, stress, varicose veins and bad backs .

[wintertime]

Calling a person a liar doesn’t strengthen your argument.

[wintertime]

All of this could likely have been resolved, quietly, rationally, **safely**, and without kicking a nurse in the groin by Kennedy simply requesting to speak to the supervising nurse, and or called the department of public relations.

But...I he likely would have had to postpone his immediate gratification for some minutes.

[mkjessup]

Calling a person a liar doesn’t strengthen your argument.

What's wrong with calling a liar, a liar? Kaila has been lying about me, about Ernie Kaputnik by insinuating and suggesting that because we won't jump on the 'Lynch Douglas Kennedy' bandwagon, that we MUST be advocates of violence against women, that we beat the women in our families, ad nauseum. She is a liar. She has lied about Ernie and myself, based on NOTHING and liars like that deserve no respect at all.

Alleged Nurse "kaila" lost all of her credibility when she started personally attacking other FReepers by accusing them of being violent towards women. Quite frankly, I think she should be zotted for that.

[linn37]

Now you are asking nurses to look the other way when parents walk off the floor with their children? How were they to know it was the great and mighty Kennedy who does not have to follow hospital procedure? Of course they were aggressive in asking him to return. They could be fired if they had not confronted him or anyone else pulling the same stunt. I guess it didn’t occur to you or the lame brained father that he could have returned to the floor to discuss it rather then abuse hospital employees or endanger his child in a stairwell?

[mkjessup]

Believe what you want, I am a nurse, and have said that in other threads. As a nurse, we have to be somewhat informed in medical -legal issues because of the increasing amounts of lawsuits directed to the health care industry. Also, the hospitals train us in preventing lawsuits by proper documentation, and following policies and procedures put in place by hospital administration and the attorneys on staff at the hospital. My husband is a physician, Harvard educated- a far cry from pumping gas. The last time I saw General Hospital was when I was a college student. They spent all their time looking great at the nurses station, chatting up the latest hunk on the show. The reality of nursing is understaffing, no time for bathroom breaks, stress, varicose veins and bad backs.

I think you hate men too. Say, tell me: how do you like being falsely accused?

[kaila]

If I am going to be zotted, then you should be higher up on the zotting chain.
Defending a Kennedy makes you look like a troll, especially defending violence against women.
Who is the real troll here that needs to be zotted?
I, however, have not pressed the abuse button because I do not believe in being a tattle tale.

[mkjessup]

Now you are asking nurses to look the other way when parents walk off the floor with their children? How were they to know it was the great and mighty Kennedy who does not have to follow hospital procedure? Of course they were aggressive in asking him to return. They could be fired if they had not confronted him or anyone else pulling the same stunt. I guess it didn’t occur to you or the lame brained father that he could have returned to the floor to discuss it rather then abuse hospital employees or endanger his child in a stairwell?

The fact is, Kennedy stated that he had been given permission to take his son for a walk and the two aggressor nurses chose to physically confront him, they attempt to forcibly take his son out of his arms, while falsely claiming a 'code pink' child abduction was in progress. The ER physician who was with Kennedy stated that the nurses initiated the confrontation and that Kennedy was defending himself from their actions and trying to protect his son.

The event occurred on January 7th. It took until this past Thursday before the District Attorney filed MISDEMEANOR charges against Kennedy, the lowest class of offense possible. We can be sure the D.A.'s office has reviewed the entire surveillance tape and if misdemeanor charges are all that was warranted, I'll go out on a limb and say that it will probably never even go to trial, but that won't stop the thug nurses from pursuing Kennedy in a civil lawsuit looking for that big pay day.