Seldom is there ever a situation where everyone loses as a result of a decision by a politician, even in LA. Unfortunately, Attorney General Charlie Foti seems to have figured out a way to this rare position. Lolis Elie’s column in Monday’s Daily Monopoly caused me to start thinking about this. See column here.

Foti’s unusual sense of priorities (I’m being kind here as the Houston Chronicle calls it a “witch hunt” see story here.) and his public accusations of a doctor and two nurses at Memorial Medical Center appears to have set up a no-win for anyone situation.

Even if Orleans Parish District Attorney Eddie Jordan, who has original jurisdiction in the matter, declines to pursue the matter or if a grand jury decides not to indict, civil litigation will likely follow.

Even if the doctor and nurses escape prosecution and avoid being held civilly liable, in the future, as a result under similar conditions even more people are likely to suffer and die because of the fear of medical professionals of a public persecution.

Will medical professionals in another catastrophic event on duty at a hospital or other medical facility, stay to care for the ill? Will those about to go on duty have similar concerns? Is it better to be thought of as one who abandoned their post or a murderer? None of the first responders or pump operators who abandoned their posts in the aftermath of Katrina have been arrested on charges of murder.

There has been and is a steady exodus of medical professionals from the New Orleans area. Will this very public incident be another reason to leave?

Again, I don’t know the facts about the deaths of four souls. However, I do know that guilty or innocent, the lives of three medical professionals are likely ruined. We can only hope that the priorities in his war on crime, Foti has not set up a scenario where even more lives will be lost.

It is ironic that obviously smarter lawyers than me have concluded that the U.S. Army Corps cannot be held criminally or civilly liable for the hundreds of deaths that it caused in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but apparently three medical professionals can.

C.B.