View more videos at: http://nbcconnecticut.com. A woman who goes by her initials L.K. has a severe form of cerebral palsy. She is 29 years old, and throughout a recent court testimonial, she could only communicate by pointing at letters to spell words, or by pointing to the words “yes” and “no.” It took her four days to finish her testimony. She was testifying against Richard Fourtin Jr., a man who she says sexually assaulted her. He was dating her mother at the time. The Connecticut Supreme Court sided with Fourtin, claiming that L.K. still could have communicated her refusal despite her ability to talk. The decision rested on testimony from one of L.K.’s aids who claims that she kicks and groans when she receives food that she does not want. “[N]o reasonable jury could have concluded that she was physically helpless at the time of the assault,” the Appellate Court…
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Birth Injury and Cerebral Palsy Attorneys Home
Lawmaker Promises Change After State Supreme Court Tosses Cerebral Palsy Rape Case
October 15, 2012Fundraiser Nets $1 Million for Cerebral Palsy Non-Profit
October 10, 2012The Cerebral Palsy International Research Foundation (CPIRF) held a fundraiser in New York City that raised $1 million dollars – $400,000 more than the organization hoped for. The money raised at the event, which took place at the Pierre Hotel’s ballroom, will be used to further CPIRF’s mission, which includes: Funding research for cures and treatment options for people with cerebral palsy Advocating federal government officials to fund more cerebral palsy research Educating medical students on best practices for treating children and adults with cerebral palsy Paul Volcker, chairman of the foundation, received an award from his son James, who has cerebral palsy. “I want to thank my father for helping me to understand that cerebral palsy is just one aspect of my life,” James said at the event. We are excited to hear that the foundation met its goals (and then some) with this fundraiser. We hope that more…
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Suspecting Abuse, Court Demands Uncensored Documents from Disability Centers
October 5, 2012There are close to 1,700 people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities living in the California Department of Public Health’s institutions for the developmentally disabled. For years, any record of abuse or neglect was hidden from public eyes. The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) sued the department for withholding these documents. The department released highly redacted versions of the citations, and now a California state court is ordering the release of the full, uncensored versions. The defense for the institutions argued that the redacting was necessary because the patients’ medical information is confidential. The judge disagreed, saying that blacking out the information defeats the purpose of releasing the documents. “Under (the department’s) construction, redacting factual information from the citation, the public knows a violation has occurred, but cannot ascertain how the violation occurred, whether it has been corrected, or whether it is likely to be repeated,” Judge Timothy Frawley wrote….
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