Death penalty hearing for Anthony Garcia delayed again until May

Yet another delay in the death penalty phase of the Anthony Garcia murder trial

The death penalty hearing for convicted murderer, Dr. Anthony Garcia, has been delayed yet again.

Dr. Garcia's new legal counsel, the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy, asked for the delay because of difficulty in getting files on Garcia's mental health records from his former attorneys, Robert Motta Sr. and Robert Motta Jr. of Chicago.

The three-judge panel hearing on whether Dr. Garcia would face the death penalty for his crimes was originally set for March 12th, but now has been rescheduled for May 30 to June 1 by Douglas County District Judge Gary Randall.

At a hearing on Tuesday, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine objected to the delay, saying the case has dragged on way too long.

As Anthony Garcia's quadruple murder case is featured on another TV show, Judge dismisses Garcia's motion against the death penalty

What's been happening on Medicine of Omaha's Wild Medicine?

A lot of you have been wondering what's been happening of late on Medicine of Omaha's Wild Medicine.

Apparently, there's been a news blackout on medicine-related stories by the Omaha press because we've been stealing so much of their thunder with scandals about the medical profession in the Omaha area.

For instance in the past, the Omaha World-Herald unsuccessfully lodged a copyright complaint against us for thumb-nailing one of their photos, which is legal to do since it's on their servers. Those kinds of false copyright DMCA claims went nowhere.

But this week, another national television show—this time a cable outlet called Investigation Discovery (ID)—has aired yet another crime documentary of the events of the Anthony Garcia quadruple murder case, breaking the news blackout. The show, episode 4 of James Patternson's Murder is Forever entitled, "Murder on the Run," aired Monday night at 9 p.m. on ID. (Click here to see a link to the video of the show.)

Death penalty hearing for Dr. Anthony Garcia in complete chaos and delayed until March because trial Judge decided to replace his lawyers during the sentencing phase

Dr. Anthony Garcia's death penalty sentencing hearing has been delayed again

On Thursday, a three-judge panel set to hold the death sentencing hearing for convicted quadruple-murderer, Dr. Anthony Garcia, at the end of this month has pushed back the two-day hearing to March 12 at the request of Dr. Garcia's new defense attorneys, who said they need more time to prepare.

Garcia's previous counsel, Robert Motta Sr. and Jr., were forced to withdrew from the case on August 31 due to a lack of funds, when the very judge presiding over the murder trial, Douglas County District Court Judge Gary Randall, threw the murder case in complete chaos by appointing the Nebraska Public Advocacy Commission, the state's public defenders, out of the blue to represent the defendant late in the death penalty phase of the trial, when the defendant was already represented by counsel of his own choosing.

SCULPT cosmetic surgical facility closes amid growing malpractice scandal against its medical director

Dr. Gerard Stanley Jr. has abruptly shut down
his surgical clinic on Friday amid numerous
claims of medical malpractice by former patients

The controversial Omaha-based family practitioner at the center of fifteen medical malpractice lawsuits for performing botched cosmetic surgical procedures has quietly and abruptly shut down his cosmetic surgical center for good on Friday, according to a letter he posted to his patients on the surgical center's website.

In that letter, Dr. Gerard Stanley Jr. wrote that that he has closed down his SCULPT Contemporary Cosmetic Surgical Center effective as of Friday, October 13, 2017, but he will "remain in the community" for his patients should they need anything.

Dr. Stanley stated that his surgical patients have his personal cell phone number, and they are welcome to contact him should they have any questions or need continued care or referrals to another cosmetic surgeon.

Stanley stated that he has refunded prepaid fees on every surgical appointment reservation SCULPT has on file, but encourages anyone he might have missed to contact the clinic.

He, however, also said, in the same breath, that two of his associates will continue to see some of his cosmetic surgical patients at his father's clinic, Time Health Clinic, on West Maple Road for certain other cosmetic procedures such as Botox, Xeomin, Dysport, dermal fillers, laser treatments, microneedling and dermaplaning.

8 more women come forward to file suit against Omaha family practitioner for botched cosmetic surgeries

Family physician Gerard Stanley of the Sculpt Contemporary Cosmetic Surgery Clinic

Eight more women have come forward to file medical malpractice lawsuits alleging medical malpractice against an Omaha family practitioner and his cosmetic surgery clinic.

The victims all claim Dr. Gerard J. Stanley Jr. had misrepresented his credentials as a "board-certified" surgeon, qualified to perform cosmetic and plastic surgery.

The eight new suits allege that the victims had suffered similar outcomes of disfigurement, permanent scarring and pain after undergoing the knife that seven previous suits had claimed back in August at the hands of Dr. Stanley and his Sculpt Cosmetic Surgery Clinic.

Stanley now faces a total of 15 medical malpractice lawsuits against him in Douglas County District Court.

Anthony Garcia's Chicago-based lawyers ask to be removed from the 'Creighton killer' case

Dr. Anthony Garcia's attorneys, Robert Motta Sr. (center) and Robert Motta Jr.
(right), have withdrawn from the sentencing phase of the murder trial

UPDATE 8/31/16:

As expected, the attorneys who defended the Creighton Killer will no longer represent him during the death penalty phase of the trial.

Douglas Co. District Court Judge Gary Randall grants a motion by Bob Motta Jr. and Bob Motta Sr. to withdraw as attorneys for Garcia due to a lack of funds.

The Nebraska Public Advocacy Commission will take over as Dr. Garcia's legal counsel during the death penalty phase of the trial which is set to begin November 30.

Medical malpractice lawsuit filed against Omaha family practitioner for botched cosmetic surgeries

Family Practitioner, Dr. Gerard Stanley, pictured above at his cosmetic surgery center in Omaha, Nebraska

Another Omaha-area doctor and his cosmetic surgery clinic are facing charges of medical malpractice in numerous civil lawsuits filed by at least seven former patients a week ago.
   

Advertisement from Dr. Stanley's Sculpt surgery center

Dr. Gerard J. Stanley Jr., a family practitioner by trade and not a board certified plastic surgeon, was named as the defendant in civil lawsuits filed by seven women who claimed they were severely scarred and disfigured after receiving botched cosmetic surgical procedures from Stanley at his West Omaha clinic, Sculpt Contemporary Cosmetic Surgery LLC.

Omaha attorney James Martin Davis, who represent the seven women and two spouses, filed the civil medical malpractice lawsuits on behalf of the victims in Douglas County District Court filed last week.

The women allege they went into the cosmetic surgery center run by Dr. Stanley for a variety of elective cosmetic surgical procedures, including liposuction, buttocks lifts, breast augmentations, and eye lifts within the last two years, thinking Dr. Stanley was a board-certified plastic surgeon.

Nebraska Medicine employee stabbed in the face after insisting on drawing blood from patient

Zachery Dvorak was arrested for assault on a healthcare worker and use of a weapon to commit a felony 

Omaha police said that a 37-year-old man is facing felony charges for assault on a healthcare worker after he is alleged to have stabbed a staff member in the face at the University of Nebraska Medical Center on Friday.

Prior to the incident, the patient is said to have explicitly refused a blood draw

According to a hospital spokesman, Zacherey Dvorak refused to have his blood drawn by UNMC phlebotomist Meagan Strande, 30, around 8:30 a.m. last Friday on the fourth floor of the Lied Transplant Center at UNMC.

As Strande ignored the patient's refusal and continued to attempt to draw blood from the man, Dvorak suddenly attacked the healthcare worker with a weapon that he fashioned from ordinary items found in his room.

Other staff members and the medical center's security officers had to restrain Dvorak until police arrived to take him into custody.

The injured employee was taken to the emergency room, where she was treated for a small laceration to the face, which required stitches.

Creighton University Medical Center closes its doors for good

Creighton University Medical Center shuttered its doors for good on Friday morning

The old Creighton University Medical Center (CUMC) formerly known as St. Joseph Hospital, at 601 North 30th Street near the Creighton University campus officially shut its doors for good yesterday on Friday June 9, 2017, at 7 a.m.

Out with the old, in with the new: CHI Bergan Mercy Medical Center will take
over all of CUMC's responsibilities as a Level-1 Trauma Center and academic
medical center for the Creighton University School of Medicine

At the same time, two new medical centers run by CHI Health and the Creighton University School of Medicine will open, ensuring what is hoped to be a smooth transition and seemless continuity of care for CUMC patients.

A smaller, scaled-down CHI Health University Campus at 2412 Cuming Street will serve as a community health center and ER six blocks away from the old CUMC facilities, while a full service Level-1 Trauma center at Bergan Mercy Medical Center nine miles away will serve as the new academic medical center for Creighton University's School of Medicine.

The outdated facilities of the old CUMC buildings first opened its doors back in December 18, 1977, nearly forty years ago, as St. Joseph Hospital on 30th and Cuming Streets and was redubbed as Creighton University Medical Center in 2002 when it officially became the academic medical center for Creighton University's School of Medicine.

CBS News '48 Hours' features Dr. Anthony Garcia's quadruple murder case

Yesterday, CBS's "48 Hours: Resident Evil" featured the story of the two double murders in Omaha, Nebraska committed out of revenge by Dr. Anthony Garcia, which has infamously come to be known nationwide as the "Creighton killings."

Garcia was convicted last October of the two sets of double murders, involving ties back to his old medical residency program at Creighton University, and now awaits a hearing by a three-judge panel to determine if he will face the death penalty for his crimes.

Dr. Anthony Garcia ruled to be competent for death penalty sentencing, but court then grants defense a last minute postponement

Judge Gary Randall agreed again to delay Dr. Garcia's sentencing today

UPDATE: March 30, 2017

In a surprise, eleventh hour move today, Judge Gary Randall granted the defense a postponement of Dr. Anthony Garcia's death penalty hearing after Dr. Garcia's attorneys filed an emergency motion to discuss Anthony Garcia's mental competency.

Garcia's death penalty phase of his sentencing was to be heard by a three-judge panel today; however, Garcia's attorneys filed a last-minute emergency motion on Wednesday evening, arguing they needed more time to explore Dr. Garcia's history of mental problems as a mitigating factor against being sentenced for the death penalty.

Judge Randall called the latest move by Garcia's defense team "disturbing." However, he also said Garcia's rights to due process needed to be protected, so he begrudgingly appointed a statewide group of public defenders, the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy, to work with Garcia's defense team in the sentencing portion of his case. The Judge said reluctantly, "I'm going to go ahead and appoint the Commission of Public Advocacy."

Dr. Anthony Garcia's death penalty hearing likely delayed after Judge orders mental competency exam for 'Creighton Killer'

Convicted Creighton Killer, Dr. Anthony Garcia, sat in court catatonic, refusing to answer the Judge in court

Convicted murderer Dr. Anthony Garcia sat mute during a mandatory preliminary death penalty sentencing hearing this morning and remained non-responsive to any questions from the Judge or his legal team.

Judge Gary Randall ordered a mental evaluation for Dr.
Anthony Garcia before proceeding with the death penalty
phase of the Garcia murder trial

When Judge Gary Randall repeatedly asked Dr. Garcia questions during the hearing, Dr. Garcia simply remained silent throughout the entire hearing, rocking back and forth in his seat with his eyes gazing downward avoiding any eye contact with anyone in the courtroom.

“Dr. Garcia if you do not respond to me, you leave me with no choice but to follow the third thing we discussed at the hearing last week [sic] was to have you sent to the Lincoln Regional Center to determine whether or not you’re competent,” Judge Randall said in court.

After getting no response from the defendant, the Judge then promptly ordered Dr. Garcia for another mental evaluation at the Lincoln Regional Center to determine if he is competent to take part in the death penalty phase of his murder trial.

Garcia had already refused to attend a sentencing hearing in person last week in Douglas County.

His legal team asserts that Garcia's catatonic behavior today is similar to what they experienced with the convicted murderer for months when they tried to meet with him in confidence to discuss issues before the court. Apparently, Dr. Garcia had not even spoken at all to his attorneys during his 3 1/2-week quadruple murder trial.