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Douglas Kennedy, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, charged with hospital assault
Media Spy ^ | 2-26-2012 | Tim Blight

Posted on 02/26/2012 8:50:05 AM PST by smoothsailing

Fox News reporter charged with hospital assault

Tim Blight

February 26, 2012

Douglas Kennedy, Fox News correspondent and son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, has been charged with assault after a 7 January incident in a New York hospital.

2 nurses at the Mt Kisco hospital alleged that Kennedy became violent after they tried to prevent him from taking his newborn son Bo outside of the ward. Kennedy says he wanted to "get some fresh air" and had already received permission from other nurses on duty, Reuters reports.

The confrontation began after nurses issued a "code pink", an alert that someone is attempting to abduct a baby. The incident was partially caught on surveillance camera; although obscured by a doorway, nurse Cari Luciano can be seen falling to the ground.

Luciano stated that Kennedy "raised his right foot and with tremendous force kicked [her] in the pelvis area". Another nurse, Anna Lane, accused the New York-based journalist of twisting her arm, although this appears off screen on the surveillance video.

Kennedy has been charged with harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.

Kennedy and his wife have labeled accusations "absurd" in an interview with NBC New York. His lawyer, Robert Gottlieb, called the altercation the result of "aggressive and grossly inappropriate behavior by two nurses".

"Whatever Douglas did came about only because the nurse was lunging to grab his child from his arms. What Douglas did was simply to protect his baby," he added.

A date for the hearing has not yet been announced.


TOPICS: Heated Discussion
KEYWORDS: assault; foxnews; kennedyfamily
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To: ngat
Hospital **correctly** have very strict protocols about how a baby is released from the maternity ward. Both Kennedys were very likely **fully** informed of these very protective procedures well in advance of admission.

Why? Kidnapping! (Not only by strangers but disgruntled fathers and family.)

About 7 years ago a woman wearing scrubs walked into a Salt Lake City, Utah, hospital, and took a baby from a bassinet. She told the mom that she was taking the baby for medical tests. Instead, she walked right out of the hospital with the newborn. Thankfully the woman was somewhat mentally ill, and was found with the infant wandering around in a nearby supermarket.

When I went to visit my daughter, it was like breaking into and out of Ft. Knox! And....When my grandchildren were discharged they were required to leave with their mother, in a wheelchair, accompanied by a nurse, and name bands on both my daughter and her infant were carefully checked by hospital security stationed at the entrance to the maternity unit.

I would bet my entire 401 K that taking a newborn out for a stroll outside is not part of the kidnapping prevention protocol of this hospital.

21 posted on 02/26/2012 9:25:53 AM PST by wintertime (Reforming a government K-12 school is like reforming an abortion center.)
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To: Ernie Kaputnik

I gotta agree with you Ernie, I’m no fan of the Kennedys but you are absolutely right in this instance.


22 posted on 02/26/2012 9:28:21 AM PST by mkjessup (Romney is to conservatism what e.coli is to an all-you-can-eat salad bar. NO ROMNEY!!!)
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To: smoothsailing

I support Kennedy on this one: who the heck is some nurse to prevent a father from taking his baby? Under what legal authority did the nurse have to impede the father?


23 posted on 02/26/2012 9:28:34 AM PST by AtlasStalled
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To: Ernie Kaputnik

Please read post #21.

What would be your reaction to the hospital staff if one of your children were kidnapped from the hospital?

Again please read post #21. It has happened.


24 posted on 02/26/2012 9:28:46 AM PST by wintertime (Reforming a government K-12 school is like reforming an abortion center.)
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To: Ernie Kaputnik

“But that’s just me.”

Good to know. If you can’t think of anyway to have handled that better, this is good to know. Cradle the baby in your arms and turn your back, for instance? And who the hell said she was lunging at him? HIM? A Kennedy wouldn’t lie, I know but c’mon....


25 posted on 02/26/2012 9:31:40 AM PST by jessduntno ("Newt Gingrich was part of the Reagan Revolution's Murderers' Row." - Jeffrey Lord, Reagan Admin.)
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To: AtlasStalled; mkjessup

Please read post #21.

What would be your reaction if your newborn were kidnapped from the hospital? It can and has happened.

If a parent wishes to be discharged ( with her infant) there is a rational, legal, and completely non-confrontational way to go about doing that.


26 posted on 02/26/2012 9:33:07 AM PST by wintertime (Reforming a government K-12 school is like reforming an abortion center.)
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To: Ernie Kaputnik
but if I’m holding my newborn son

How would they know it's yours and not somebody else's? Babies have been stolen before.......In fact, I find it very unusual that this guy would want to remove his three day old baby from the hospital and take it outside for a "bit of fresh air".....But I suppose that happens all the time, right?

27 posted on 02/26/2012 9:33:23 AM PST by Hot Tabasco (The only solution to this primary is a shoot out! Last person standing picks the candidate)
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To: smoothsailing

This has been plastered all over the internet for days and is patent BS. If his name was “Smith” or “Jones” instead of Kennedy, nobody would have heard a word about it. Muck-raking, yellow “journalism” (and I use the term losely) at it’s worst.


28 posted on 02/26/2012 9:34:14 AM PST by GoldenPup
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To: smoothsailing

Oh, boy! Another thread supporting the diktats of a hospital over the rights of a parent.


29 posted on 02/26/2012 9:34:24 AM PST by raybbr (People who still support Obama are either a Marxist or a moron.)
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To: FES0844

“As a catholic, isn’t he supposed to wait til after baptism? Just wondering.”

That would have been normal a hundred years ago to shelter a newborn baby. It really is “best practices” but they let so many visitors into the hospital maternity wards now. I’ve seen newborns at the mall, at restaurants etc and no one indicates anything is wrong to the parents.


30 posted on 02/26/2012 9:34:49 AM PST by Domestic Church (AMDG ...)
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To: FES0844

“As a catholic, isn’t he supposed to wait til after baptism? Just wondering.”

That would have been normal a hundred years ago to shelter a newborn baby. It really is “best practices” but they let so many visitors into the hospital maternity wards now. I’ve seen newborns at the mall, at restaurants etc and no one indicates anything is wrong to the parents.


31 posted on 02/26/2012 9:35:04 AM PST by Domestic Church (AMDG ...)
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To: Ernie Kaputnik
...regardless if they are a man or woman, tall or short, young or old, with a wooden leg, and wearing glasses.

Or a blind, hunch-back midget with a club foot. I agree.

32 posted on 02/26/2012 9:38:50 AM PST by GoldenPup
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To: Hot Tabasco

Did you read the story, or just the excerpt?

Mr. Kennedy had already received permission from the hospital to take the child outside. He advised the “nurses” in question of said permissions but they still lunged at him.

Besides that, the only way he could have gotten access to his son is if somebody in the hospital had given him access. Ever seen a maternity ward? Those places are locked down like a prison. The only way you can get access to your child is if they give it to you. So both of those nurses knew he was the child’s father.

The scenario you paint is total B.S.

There is more to this story than we are being told, but I’m on Mr. Kennedy’s side on this.


33 posted on 02/26/2012 9:47:27 AM PST by Ernie Kaputnik ((It's a mad, mad, mad world.))
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To: wintertime

Just because the hospital may have a “protocol” on the removal of newborns I’m not sure it’s legally binding on the parent unless some state or local statute says these are the required procedures.

Moreover, did the nurse know that Kennedy was the actual father and she was just being a stickler over the “protocol” or did she genuinely not know that the man with the baby was the actual father and was trying to prevent a possible kidnapping? If the former scenario then perhaps she was doing the right thing; if the latter scenario then I don’t support her, and my sympathy is with Kennedy.

Context is everything.


34 posted on 02/26/2012 9:48:03 AM PST by AtlasStalled
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To: GoldenPup

ROTFLMAO!


35 posted on 02/26/2012 9:49:03 AM PST by Ernie Kaputnik ((It's a mad, mad, mad world.))
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To: AtlasStalled

“If the former scenario then perhaps she was doing the right thing; if the latter scenario then I don’t support her, and my sympathy is with Kennedy.”

I got the above backwards . . . you know what I mean!


36 posted on 02/26/2012 9:49:18 AM PST by AtlasStalled
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To: raybbr

If the baby left the ward with the mother, after all IDs were checked, then this would not have been an issue.
The mother has legal priority in a maternity ward, not the father. There is no way a maternity ward can know the relationship status of both parents. The parents could have been separated, and the father was kidnapping the baby.He may also have been drunk, or had alcohol on his breath.
Probably, both parents signed an agreement on this policy when mother was admitted.
I am writing Fox news, and asking them to fire this woman beater. If you look at the video, it is obvious that the nurse did try to prevent him from leaving, but did not touch him. The nurse did fly into the hallway- so the force of the kick was extreme.
A responsible adult would have asked for the nursing supervisor if he was in disagreement with the nurses. Then the problem could have been handled in a adult manner.
But, he is a Kennedy, and they do like to beat up, rape, and kill their women.


37 posted on 02/26/2012 9:51:56 AM PST by kaila
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To: wintertime; AtlasStalled; Ernie Kaputnik
Please read post #21.
What would be your reaction if your newborn were kidnapped from the hospital? It can and has happened.


This was not a kidnapping situation and you know it. All the parties were known to each other. Nice straw man argument but it won't fly.

If a parent wishes to be discharged (with her infant) there is a rational, legal, and completely non-confrontational way to go about doing that.

This wasn't about being discharged. A parent wanted to take a walk with his newborn, and has stated that other nurses had already given permission to do exactly that. Two other nurses overreacted by called a 'code pink'. If they were that concerned about an 'abduction', one or both of them could have accompanied the parent and kept the infant in sight. This was not an abduction attempt and physically attempting to take the infant from the parent by force was a dubious and unwise way to proceed and could have resulted in injury to the infant, and they're damn lucky it didn't.

I'll bet you show up on those 'cops gone wild' threads to defend everything they do too, don't you?
38 posted on 02/26/2012 9:54:11 AM PST by mkjessup (Romney is to conservatism what e.coli is to an all-you-can-eat salad bar. NO ROMNEY!!!)
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To: AtlasStalled

What proof did the nurses have that this man was the baby’s father?


39 posted on 02/26/2012 9:56:22 AM PST by Oztrich Boy (Prayer has no place in the public schools, just like facts have no place in religion -Sup. Chalmers)
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To: mkjessup

The code pink was probably automatically triggered because the babies armband triggered the alarm when the baby was leaving the ward.
I also find it hard to believe that a nurse gave permission against hospital policy.
It does not ring true to me.


40 posted on 02/26/2012 9:57:04 AM PST by kaila
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