Head Trauma, Comprehension and Intoxication
When: March 4th, 2021 Location: Duke Law Virtual Event Presented by North Carolina Office Law of Indigent Defense Services, Duke Law Center for Criminal Justice and Professional Responsibility, and the Wilson Center for Science and Justice Head Trauma, Comprehension and Intoxication Tara Godoy, BSN, RN, CFN, LNC 2:15-3:45 pm Certified Forensic Nurse, Godoy Medical Forensics, […]
Bruise Dating for Court Cases Can be Tricky
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/1fcGXsaGPQ4″ align=”center”][vc_column_text] – Transcript of Video – Today we’re going to talk about bruising and the dating of bruises. I get calls on this on a regular basis regarding cases in which the victim has bruises. Whether it’s a child abuse case, a domestic violence case, or assault case, oftentimes the bruising is used […]
Infection, Delirium, and Homicide
In April, I covered delirium and noted that there are many underlying etiologies that can cause it. One such etiology is infection. Infection and our body Our bodies are constantly fighting infections. Our skin is the first barrier, but we are often exposed to pathogens through open wounds, our respiratory system, or our mouths. Most […]
Shock in Criminal Cases
In April, I covered delirium and noted that there are many underlying etiologies that can cause it. One such etiology is hypoperfusion. When the blood flow is cut off to the vital organs, the body will compensate in an effort to restore the blood flow. The body’s reaction to hypoperfusion is known as shock: What […]
Hypertension in Criminal Cases
In April, I covered delirium and noted that there are many underlying etiologies that can cause it. One of those etiologies is a condition called hypertensive crisis, or more specifically, hypertensive encephalopathy. If you have a patient that is treated for hypertension in the course of their arrest, you may need a medical expert to […]
What a criminal attorney needs to know about brain injuries.
In April, I covered delirium and noted that there are many underlying etiologies that can cause it. One of those underlying causes is brain injuries, or intracranial processes such as stroke, tumor or traumatic injury. Symptoms of certain intracranial processes are not always immediately apparent or obvious to the person being affected or even their […]
What role does Hypoxia play in Criminal Cases? {Assault/Trauma}
For both prosecutors and defense attorneys, it’s often important to know the defendant’s state of mind to litigate the case. If a defendant has a medical condition or traumatic injury that could result in hypoxia it warrants further review by a medical expert to determine if the hypoxia was severe enough to change their mental […]
Delirium: What role does it play in criminal cases? {DUI/Gen Med}
In many of our cases we come across symptoms of delirium and are asked to determine if they are due to the assumed etiology, like alcohol or drug intoxication; or from something else, like seizures, or traumatic brain injury. So, this month I’d like to do an overview of delirium and its potential causes, and […]
Involuntary Intoxication when mixing Cocaine and Alcohol…? {MH/Tox}
What if someone knows how cocaine affects them, and they know how alcohol affects them, but not how they can affect them when taken together? The use of both cocaine and alcohol together results in a unique metabolite called cocaethylene. This metabolite stays in the system longer and prevents the reuptake of dopamine resulting in […]
5 things criminal attorneys should know about…Bruises
This is the last in the “5 things criminal attorneys should know about…” series where I highlight some areas of medicine that often cross into the criminal fields. This is not meant to be an in-depth review, but rather just bullet pointed facts. If you have any subject requests let me know! [sep]For this month […]
