HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE AND WHAT PARTICIPATION CAN DO FOR YOU

If you want to participate immediately, here are some issues that are pressing:

1.    As you will determine from the novel, in addition to being a medical doctor, I am also a lawyer. BUT, I had never practiced law until JA's death.

The fact is, in my estimation, I am not facile at the technical aspects of legal practice. I have no real experience. I can use help and am making this sincere request for it.

And I can use it ASAP. There is a brief due to the Appellate Court by February 26, 2007. It is the Response to the Defendant's brief, found here. If you have suggestions, please contact me at the address below. Thank you.

 Frankly, in my own life, I try to do just about everything myself and try not to ask favors.

But this is bigger than me, and the outcome of this can affect many people, including you. Also, Judge Rochford, the circuit court judge hearing this case, has strongly suggested that I get some help. (see pages 22-25)

If anyone out there has real skills at this and is willing to help, please write me at:

Michael Applebaum
P.O. Box 4952
Skokie, IL 60076 

Kindly include info on: 

Who you are
What your experience is
Why you want to help
Why you think you can help
How you can help
And anything else you think is relevant

Please include contact information:

Your email address
A mailing address
Your telephone number(s) and convenient times to call

2.    I think it is reasonable to conclude that if there is a popular phrase in a language, there must be much cause to use it. Otherwise, why have a popular phrase?

For example, in English we have the phrases "miscarriage of justice" and "travesty of justice."

It is always possible that a bad court decision can happen.

It is possible that the Appellate Court will decide in favor of the defendants.

If so, then there will be an option to petition the Illinois Supreme Court.

To prepare for this presumably unlikely possibility, if anyone has skills and/or experience in Illinois Supreme Court practice and is willing to step forward at this phase, it would be appreciated.

Please contact me.

If you want to participate and have a longer-term view, here are some issues to consider:

You may think that there are issues in this case that go beyond JA's death, e.g., issues of hospital safety, medical malpractice insurance rates, the quality of our oversight agencies, etc.

Each of these, depending on what you conclude from your reading of the novel, can affect your life and the lives of those about whom you care.

If you believe that there are issues of health care quality involved, it is possible that you can improve your future care by contacting:

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (a national organization)

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (a governmental agency in Illinois)

If you believe that there are issues of health care costs involved related to medical malpractice insurance rates, it is possible that you can control your future costs by contacting:

ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company (a major malpractice insurer in Illinois)

If you believe that there are issues of patient safety involved, it is possible that you can improve your future patient safety by contacting:

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (a national organization)

If you believe that a crime was committed in the hospital, as suggested by the defendants, it is possible that you can improve your future security by contacting:

The FBI - Chicago Division

The Skokie Police Department

I will occasionally read the posts in the blog. Some of you may make compelling arguments, suggestions or offer thoughts that never occurred to me. I will take these into consideration and, if appropriate, use them. Your words will have meaning to me.

Thank you.