Civil trial delayed in case of immigrant patient deported by Stuart hospital
June 22nd, 2009 by Daphne DuretSTUART — A judge today delayed for a week the start of a civil trial on behalf on a man whose guardian sued Martin Memorial Hospital for privately deporting him back to Guatemala after the uninsured immigrant racked up $1.5 million in hospital bills.
Hospital officials repatriated Luis Alberto Jimenez in 2003, three years after the Guatemalan immigrant working as a landscaper was injured in an accident involving a drunk driver.
A judge’s ruling had cleared the way, but lawyers for Jimenez had already begun the appeals process by the time hospital officials sent him back and an appeals court later decided that the judge lacked the authority to rule on the case.
Jimenez’s guardian, cousin Montejo Gaspar, sued the hospital for false imprisonment. Jury selection in the case was expected to begin Tuesday, but Martin Circuit Senior Judge James Medelis agreed to delay jury selection until next week because Gaspar had to fly to Guatemala to attend a family funeral.
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June 22nd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
how can a hospital deport a patient are they working with immigration officials or is it for financial reasons example once that patient has disapeared they will then be reinbursed by the government
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:39 am
What happened to the fundamental rules of Journalism.. who what when where W H Y and how.
The background information is nigh useless without an explanation of why the trial was delayed.
Without the why there is NO story…