The judge explodes the “apologies” from Birmingham Hospital in the case of sexual abuse: “He is not satisfied with the grandview”

A judge last week ordered the GrandView Medical Center again to hand over the investigations and dismissal of an employee accused of sexually abusing five psychiatric patients almost three years ago.

“Every time we come to court, there is always a lawyer here. And there is always a lawyer here with excuses. Do not go on that road, “said Kechia Davis County, Judge Judge Judge, for a lawyer for Birmingham Hospital during an hearing on Thursday. “In my opinion, you should know what is happening.”

At the end of 2022, Cornell Richards, behavioral health technician at Grandview, was custody and accused of several sexual crimes. Investigators say he has assaulted psychiatric patients at the Unity between July and September 2022.

A great jury of Jefferson County accused Richards for four charges of sexual abuse, a number of rape and two charges of sodomy. He is scheduled to be tried on April 7, but the case stopped while lawyers are fighting for the hospital records.

In the court, on Thursday, the judge said that if the hospital teaches the records until February 27, it intends to issue sanctions against the installation and keep its custodian in contempt.

Cannon Lawley, a lawyer for Grandview, said on Thursday that his team does not receive records in the court system and does not know that the hospital receiving a summons.

“We don’t remember anything intentionally,” Lawley said.

Davis said he sent an E -mail to the hospital lawyers’ cities and added that “he is not satisfied with the grandview”, at one point, crossing his arms and rolls their eyes.

Women take over grandmother in the civilian process

In addition to criminal charges, Richards also faces a trial introduced by four of the women he is accused of being assaulted.

In December 2023, the nameless women sued Richards, GrandView Medical and the owners of the installation in the civil court. The process claims that GrandView did not properly veterinarian on Richards for this position, he allowed him to continue abusing patients, despite several reports against him and, finally, tried to increase the attacks under the carpet.

“Despite the fact that they received reports on at least four separate sexual aggressions that involved Richards in less than two months, the GrandView defendants failed to suspend Richards properly waiting for an adequate investigation by the hospital and the police,” is shown in the process.

The process identifies patients at that time as a 42 -year -old woman with schizophrenia, a 24 -year -old woman with bipolar disorder and depression, a 26 -year -old woman with bipolar disorder and severe manic behavior and 34 -old woman with disorder bipolar.

The process claims that Richards would find times to isolate themselves with patients and force them in sexual acts.

Lawyers for unnamed patients have refused to comment on this article. Grandview lawyers did not respond to al.com comment request.

In a petition to keep the hospital in contempt for non -observance of records in the civil case, women’s lawyers claim that GrandView prevents them from “obtaining even the most basic information and documents to which they have legal right.”

Women’s petition highlights a “13 -month shocking refusal to provide even the most basic information that is not privileged and discovered”, such as videos, time cards and witnesses.

Their lawyers have argued in the petition that this problem “can only be regarded as a deliberate attempt to cause the destruction or loss of discovered materials through the passage of time or attitude.”

Last week, Grandview prevailed against the motion to keep them in contempt, saying that federal legislation prevents the hospital from issuing the internal investigation over Richards.

“The direct illustration of the fact that GrandView did not act with bad faith, or otherwise inappropriately, must seek all the judicial protection available against the improper discovery of the applicants, because, as a matter of federal law, the grandview cannot reveal the working product. For the safety of patients, even in response to a court decision, ”the hospital said in his 19 February response in Judicial registers.

In a statement, Austin Bartolic, the Vice -President of the Hospital for Quality and Risk Management, said that the records are protected and considered confidential.

“The confidentiality of all these documents, materials, activities and information, as well as the identity of the persons involved in them, is necessary to maintain investigations, evaluations and assessments of the quality of care and safety offered to patients at the grandview, candid and efficient,” Bartolic said in the statement. saddle.

GrandView lawyers claimed that providing information to the court would endanger the hospital for a fine of $ 10,000 on the violation of the secretary of health and human services. They added that they sent all the information that can be legally revealed.

“Therefore, GrandView does not have the freedom to produce information that the legislator or the Alabama Congress declared confidential and unconvenable,” the hospital said in judicial documents, adding that he will request the intervention by the Supreme Court of Alabama, if necessary .

The next hearing in the trial is scheduled for April 16 before the Chuck Price circuit judge.

“The faith is extinguished”

In the criminal case, Davis said on Thursday that he had already ordered Grandview several times to hand over all the records on Richards.

“I remember telling me:” You tell me you had a whole draw and you have no documentation about it? “At the last hearing,” Davis told Lawley on Thursday. “I forced you to produce all the records involved in termination and you did not provide it.”

When the judge asked Lawley the name of the registration custody at the hospital, he said he didn’t know.

“So what do you do for the grandview?” Davis asked.

Lawley has confirmed that it would provide the remaining records, and Davis said the hospital had until the end of Thursday to provide the name of the custodian.

The hospital handed over some records, including the medical documents from the victims, surveillance images and Richards’s termination letter, Davis said.

Initially, the hospital said that it has no records from a internal investigation, according to Davis. But, in a recent deposit, an employee of the hospital said he was conducting that investigation and typed notes in the hospital’s internal system, said Chris Daniel, a lawyer for Richards.

“I find it faith that five young ladies came,” said Daniel, “and that there is no documentation in a hospital. I just don’t think so. “

He asked why a hospital would not hold records about an investigation, while knowing that it could be sent to court.

“And that’s exactly what happens,” added Daniel.

Throughout the country, reported attacks, sexual aggression, rapes and homicides within the medical assistance units increased by 171% between 2019 and 2023, according to a report of the common commission, a non -profit medical assistance organization.

The civil process says that patients from Grandview and their affiliates have made several reports to the hospital about the alleged abuse and that the hospital did not provide rape or exams by doctors, despite their requests. Richards was allowed to isolation with patients even after they complained about him, according to the trial.

The trial says that after patients started reporting, some of them were essentially forced to leave GrandView without having a “outside board” meeting with a doctor before being discharged.

What follows

In court, on Thursday, prosecutors in Jefferson County said they compose evidence from several alleged victims. Davis said that the criminal case will continue with the jury trial in April, as scheduled.

At the end of the meeting, Davis turned directly to Richards. He asked to represent himself, sharing the frustration about how the case was carried out.

“GrandView was in accordance with the retention of information from the courts,” Richards told the judge. “Clearly, they are deceitful.”

Davis confirmed with Richards that he will instead keep Daniel as a lawyer. It also reduced the obligation for the third time, from $ 60,000 initially so far $ 30,000 for each case.

“I hear what you say. I feel what you say, “Richards’ judge told him. “I’m starting to feel a way about the grandview.”