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New Cook County State's Attorney's Office Drug Prosecution Policy
On April 20, 2015, Cook County State’s Attorney, Anita Alvarez, announced a new policy in the Cook County State’s Attorney office regarding the prosecution of persons charged with possession of marijuana and related drugs.
Under the new policy, the State’s Attorney’s Office will no longer prosecute most cases of misdemeanor cannabis possession and will divert Class 4 felony cannabis possession and other Class 4 controlled substance offenders to alternative programs, including a newly created drug deferred prosecution program. This includes cases involving possession of cocaine, heroin and ecstasy, as well as other controlled substances.
However, each new charge will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, persons with certain criminal backgrounds will not be eligible for the new program.
Additionally, the State’s Attorney has stated that the new policy will not apply to those persons already charged.
Study: Dramatic Increase in Non-Powder Gun Injuries to Children
A new study conducted by the Stanford University School of Medicine discovered that the number of eye injuries sustained by children from non-powder guns has increased sharply within a two year period. In fact, these injuries rose by more than 500 percent.
Instead of using gunpowder to fire, non-powder guns utilize compressed air or springs. Examples of the types of non-powder guns included in the study were air, BB, paintball, and pellet guns. These items have experienced a surge in popularity over the past few years, and according to statistics, there are approximately 3.2 million non-powder guns sold in this country every year.
Researchers analyzed the number of reported eye injuries, caused by non-powder guns, which occurred between 2010 and 2012. The data used came from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.
One in Four Biopsy Results Could be Incorrect
For many women, having their annual or bi-annual mammogram done and waiting for the results can be somewhat stressful. That stress often turns into fear when the tests show that there is the possibility of the presence of breast cancer. This diagnosis followed by a biopsy to determine whether or not there is cancer present. However, a new study has concluded that many of these biopsy results are actually inaccurate. Those inaccurate diagnoses, which are used to determine what course of treatment should be given, could potentially be causing patients to undergo unnecessary treatments, causing other medical issues.
There are three different types of biopsies which are used by doctors to determine if a patient has breast cancer. When a doctor suspects that a breast lump is filled with fluid, they will usually perform a fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. If the lump is only a cyst, then it will typically collapse as the fluid is removed by the needle.
Walmart Settles Truck Crash Involving Actor Tracy Morgan and Others
Tracy Morgan and Walmart have announced a settlement regarding the New Jersey truck accident which seriously injured Morgan and killed comedian James McNair last year. The terms of the settlement are being kept confidential, according to a press release first published by Marketwatch.
The lawsuit stems from a crash in June of 2014 when the limo in which Morgan and others were riding was struck from the rear by a semi-truck operated by a Walmart employee.
The lawsuit alleged that the Walmart truck driver had been awake for more than 24 hours before the crash and that his commute of 700 miles from his home in Georgia to work in Delaware was "unreasonable." It also alleges the driver fell asleep at the wheel.
A report by federal transportation safety investigators said the Walmart driver was driving 65 mph in the minute before he slammed into the limo van. The speed limit on that stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike was 55 mph and was lowered to 45 mph that night because of construction.
The Ten Most Dangerous Jobs in America
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released its report on the ten most dangerous jobs in the country, based on workplace injuries and deaths from 2013. Although the bureau reports that the number of workplace fatalities were the second lowest since 1992, when they began recording this data, there were still 4,585 lives lost to workplace accidents.
According to the BLS, the people with the most dangerous jobs in the U.S. are those that work in the logging industry. There were 59 lives lost in logging accidents in 2013, which comes out to 91.3 fatalities for every 100,000 workers.
Fishermen, and other workers who are employed by fisheries, came in at number 2, with 27 work-related fatalities in 2013. The fatality rate for this occupation was 75 for every 100,000 workers.
Study Finds Parents May Be Really Distracting Teen Drivers
Parents who have teenagers who drive more than likely have lectured their teen on the dangers of talking on the phone or texting while driving, especially given the national statistics that reveal just how many teenagers are killed in car crashes caused by some form of distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that over 10 percent of fatal car crashes involving teens is caused by distracted driving, and more than 20 percent of those crashes involve the use of a cell phone.
However, one study reveals that it may actually be the parents who are causing the distractions.
The study found that teens were more likely to take calls from their parents while they are driving a car than they would if it was a friend calling. And parents are definitely calling. The study surveyed 408 drivers who were between the ages of 15 to 18. The survey included teens from 31 different states. More than half of those teens – 53 percent – said their parents calling them was the reason why they answered the phone while driving. Ironically, most of the teens said that although their parents have warned them not to use their cell phones while driving, those same parents become angry if the teen does not answer the phone when they call.
Are High Speed Limits Contributing to Tractor-Trailer Accidents?
According to statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there are approximately 4,000 fatal tractor-trailer crashes in this country annually. Another 95,000 victims are seriously injured in truck accidents. The number of tractor-trailer accidents increases every year.
One of the main causes of tractor-trailer accidents is speeding. A federal investigation recently suggested that most of the tires that are on these vehicles are not designed for the constant high speeds at which truck drivers are often traveling.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) found that, although there are several tires that are rated at 81 mph, the majority of tractor-trailer tires are rated at 75 mph. However, there are 16 states in this country which have passed speed limits of up to or more than 75 mph. Three states - Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming - have even approveed speed limits of 80 mph. The maximum speed limit in Texas speed is 85 mph. Unfortunately, many tractor-trailer drivers are exceeding even these high limits, causing serious safety issues and the high risk of rollovers and tire blowouts.
Study Offers New Hope for Female Stroke Victims
A new study has found that administering uric acid, along with the usual clot-busting medication, to women who have suffered strokes, increases their chance of recovering without suffering from disabilities as a result of the stroke.
The researchers found that the uric acid limits brain damage from the stroke. In the study, 42 percent of women who were given both the uric acid and the clot-busting medications were free of any significant disabilities just three months after suffering their stroke. Only 29 percent of female patients who were given just the clot-busting medication showed no signs of significant disabilities in the three months following their stroke.
For men who participated in the study, there was no significant difference in recovery between the patients who received the combination of the acid and medication and those who only received the medication. In all, there were more than 400 stroke patients who participated in the study.
National Traffic Safety Board Determines Cause of Truck Accident
The National Transportation Safety Board has determined the most likely cause of the truck accident which severely injured comedian Tracy Morgan and others, and killed another person.
The Federal Agency has determined that driver fatigue was the cause of the crash. The agency found that the truck driver had driven 12 hours to work before starting his 14-hour shift as a truck driver.
The crash happened when the truck rear-ended a van on the New Jersey Turnpike in June of 2014.
The official NTSB Press Release can be viewed here.
Preventable Complications: Who Are the Country’s Most Dangerous Surgeons?
In 1999, the medical report, “To Err is Human” was released, shining a spotlight on what was previously unknown by an unsuspecting public – the actual number of medical errors which occur every day. According to the report, which was compiled by the Institute of Medicine, there were approximately 44,000 to 98,000 lives lost every year due to mistakes made by medical personnel. Although the report is credited with exposing this deadly issue, medical errors continue to be epidemic and recent studies estimate that there are now over 200,000 people who die from medical errors each year – making it the number three cause of death in the country.
Thousands of patients who thought they were having a simple procedure done have died from injuries or other complications caused by medical mistakes.
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