The saga surrounding Dr. Pou's exoneration continues. Yesterday, we also learned that, despite the grand jury’s decision that there was no justification in pursuing homicide charges against Dr. Pou, Attorney General Foti wants to continue the persecution. He is requesting that documents pertaining to the case be unsealed, insisting that they will confirm that the health care workers were guilty, despite the grand jury’s finding to the contrary.
Unsealing documents in a case like this would be quite unusual, and would potentially allow material to be taken out of context and distorted in a continuation of Foti's witch hunt in the press.
Stephen Gillers, professor of law and legal ethics at
New York University, noted,
"Prosecutors are instructed to refrain from making comments that have a substantial chance of heightening public condemnation of the accused, which is what his latest comments on the grand jury ruling does. It echoes the prejudicial comments he made at the time the women were arrested," Gillers said.
We have already witnessed the incompetence of responsible officials in dealing with Katrina. Let's not let the diversionary tactics of Foti and the like distract us from the real culprits. Rather than allowing this diversionary tactic and persecution of a fine physician to continue, let's focus on the colossal failures of our government in protecting vulnerable citizens and its shameful cover-ups. Foti, and every other grandstanding politician involved in this tragically incompetent response to disaster should be held accountable.
