Articles

TASA ID: 7934

About 10:30 am on the morning of 26 October 2007, Jose Avalos was delivering slabs of granite to a local installer.  The countertops were being loaned to the installer to be displayed at an open house barbeque for customers that was to take place later that day.  Mr. Avalos brought two A frames and between four and eight slabs of granite on a 20' flatbed gooseneck trailer.
 
Upon arrival, two of the installers employees proceeded to unload the truck.  One of them drove a Hyster forklift that had a custom boom attached to the forks and had a gravity clamp (Abaco Lifter) that hung down from the end of the boom.  The lifter was at the end of the boom. The setup is shown below:

TASA ID: 16893

As technology improves in the health care world, more types of medical and surgical interventions are taking place in venues other than the operating room. Stand-alone surgical suites, endoscopy suites, interventional radiology, and dental procedures are just some examples of patient care environments that are an operating room alternative.

TASA ID: 321

Firearm ownership is a very hot topic in this country. Mass shootings have further divided the country between pro-gun ownership and those wishing to tighten the laws or even eliminate private ownership of all or certain types of firearms.  Every state in the United States has their own policy on firearm ownership, some seemingly in conflict with federal laws. Even with all of this turmoil, it is important to understand the role that background checks play in firearm ownership. 

As attorneys, you may one day have a case that involves the use of a firearm and understanding why background checks are important in deciding who can and cannot own a firearm, the history of background checks, how they are performed and why they are relevant today may be useful knowledge if you ever have a case where a crime is committed and a firearm is involved. 

TASA ID: 9505

This article was originally published on https://www.forensicpsychiatrynow.com/date-rape-drugs, posted May 15, 2018. 

Drug‑Facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSA) is the use of drugs and/or alcohol by a sexual predator to render a victim incapacitated and unable to fight back against a sexual assault. A side effect of many “Date Rape” or “Club Drugs” is also anterograde amnesia, the inability to recall what happened while drugged, increasing a predator’s belief he will “get away with it.”  Those odds are shifting, but attorneys, Courts, and potential victims are better served if they understand some of the drugs used and their impact on mind and body. 
 
DFSA is more easily prosecuted if reported while the drug is still in the victim’s system and thus testable by a toxicology screen. Each drug has a different deterioration time for detection. Luckily, law enforcement protocols now better respond with urgency to obtain a blood test when a DFSA is reported.  The Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act of 1996 provides for more severe sentencing. Public awareness, particularly after the recent Bill Cosby trial, has made potential victims warier of at least the most obvious DFSA attempts.

To read the full article, click here. 

TASA ID: 12689

This article was originally posted in the Journal of Healthcare Protection Management, Vol. 35, No. 1 - 2019.

In a 2007 article in this journal, the authors detailed how to protect staff, patients and visitors from becoming contaminated after attacks by weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) or weapons of mass exposure.  Given security's central role in keeping hospitals free from contamination, here they update the advice for today's world.  They review the contaminants of concern, addressing the basics of effective training for security officers, how to handle the flow of vehicles and people, when to institute lockdowns, and how to don and remove personal protective equipment (PPEs).

To read more, download the PDF below.