Sharp injury fatalities in New York City

We reviewed the case records of all fatalities due to sharp injuries in New York City in 1999. The epidemiological profile, circumstances, toxicology results, location, and injuries were examined. There were 120 deaths: 101 homicides, 17 suicides, and 2 accidents. The causes of death included: 112 due to stab(s) with or without incised wounds and 8 pure incised wound fatalities of which 5 were suicides. The detection of ethanol and/or illicit drugs was 61% in the homicide and 12% in the suicide groups. "Defense wounds" were reported in 49% of the homicides and "hesitation" wounds were found in 65% of the suicides. There were no self-inflicted sharp injuries of the face. Deaths due to a single stab wound occurred in 34% (34/101) of the homicides and 24% (4/17) of the suicides. Of these 38 deaths, 58% were of the anterior thorax (chest) and 71% injured the heart and/or great vessels. The remaining deaths with single stab wounds involved the femoral artery, abdominal organs, or head. There were no sharp injury suicides by Hispanics, Asians, or anyone under the age of 18 years. Over half of the suicides at home occurred in the bathroom and 78% of these occurred in the bathtub. Suicide notes were found in 24% of suicides, and an additional 24% verbally expressed a plan to commit suicide.     

Washington Heights,New York City

Austin Francis Muldoon III joined the NYPD in 1979 and after working uniform and plain-clothes street level enforcement was assigned to Narcotics as an investigator in 1985. From January 1988 until his retirement from Homicide in 1999 he worked as a detective in Upper Manhattan which included a time when the crack epidemic resulted in record homicide rates. Since 1999 M. Muldoon has been with the Special Commissioner of Investigation in NYC where he is working with the FBI and the US Attorney's Office investigating corruption and bid rigging in the Department of Education.     

Anatomy of an ADA case. Chatoff v. City of New York

This article addresses plaintiff and defense strategies in the context of an ADA case and is intended to serve as a ready reference to employer's counsel when faced with ADA litigation. In an ADA case, it is essential that counsel humanize the employer by keeping the "Our Business Supports Diversity" theme before the trier of facts at all times. This theme should be accompanied by the proposition that plaintiff's demands are not reasonable because they impose an undue burden on the employer or a risk to the safety of the employee or others in the workplace. It is also crucial for defense counsel to become familiar with the plaintiff's attorney's strategic considerations. ADA litigation strategy is illustrated by reference to Chatoff v. City of New York, a landmark ADA case instituted on behalf of the approximately 200,000 hearing-impaired residents of the City of New York, demanding equal and direct access to Emergency 911 services.     

Fatal descent from height in New York City

All deaths due to descent from height that underwent autopsy at the Manhattan Office of Chief Medical Examiner of New York City over a two year period (1997-1999) were reviewed. The scene and autopsy findings, psychiatric history, and toxicology results were examined. There were 120 deaths: 77 suicides, 36 accidents, 5 undetermined, and 2 homicides. Psychiatric illness was reported in 86% of suicides. The toxicological detection of psychiatric medications supports the high percentage of psychiatric disease in the suicide group. In the accidental group, the detection of ethanol and illicit drugs was higher (36%) than expected from the case investigation and similar to the suicide group (29%). Accidental falls by women made up fewer than 3% of all manners. Due to the variation in the extent of injuries, it is unwise to attempt to conclude how high a person descended based on the autopsy findings. Descents into water commonly have minimal findings on external examination with marked internal injuries. The methods of investigation and criteria for death certification using the study results are discussed.     

Civil commitment to outpatient psychotherapy: a case study

Commitment to outpatient psychiatric treatment evolved in the courts to protect patients' right to freedom from compulsory hospitalization. This ruling has been criticized by the psychiatric profession, who prioritize treatment rather than liberty. The following case demonstrates the use of commitment as a therapeutic tool in the psychotherapy of a woman with severe borderline pathology. Although the use of coercion in psychotherapy is controversial, its potential use and its ramifications on transference and countertransference issues are discussed.     

Recruitment of female police officers in New York City

As part of a larger study, forty-two female police officers in New York City were asked to articulate their motivations for selecting police work as a career. The reasons given are presented, and comparisons are made with the reasons given in the few other studies of male and female officers. It is felt that a better understanding of the motivations behind this career choice will help the police agencies recruit more effectively and more appropriately select candidates for openings.     

Bodies found in the waterways of New York City

We reviewed the case records for all decedents recovered from the waterways of New York City over a three year period (1997-2000). The epidemiological profile, circumstances, toxicology findings, putrefactive changes, date of recovery, length of immersion, and injuries were examined. There were 123 deaths: 52 suicides, 50 undetermined, 16 accidents, and five homicides. The causes of death included: 97 drownings, 13 undetermined, and 13 other. Of all the floating decedents, 27% were without putrefactive change. All found after two or more weeks of immersion were recovered from November to May. The detection of ethanol and illicit drugs was 53% in the accident, 41% in the suicide, and 33% in the undetermined groups. Detection of ethanol and/or drugs of abuse is not a reliable criterion to distinguish suicide from accident. The identification of the deceased is pivotal for determining the manner of these deaths. Therefore, a great reliance is placed upon the medical investigator and the police (including the missing persons bureau) to determine the circumstances and identification of the decedent.     

Civil commitment by conservatorship: the workings of California's law

This article summarizes the conservatorship provisions of the California Civil Commitment Statute, the Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act and reviews the major findings from previous studies. By studying the hospital records of eighty-five gravely disabled patients affected by LPS, the authors address issues raised by these reports. The results indicate that the law's provisions work unevenly. Patients with acute and current disability received conservatorships more frequently than those who had been disabled in the past. There is some evidence that the process is used to confine threatening patients and does not function equally well for all diagnostic groups.     

The dragon breathes fire: Chinese organized crime in New York City

Although it is widely acknowledged that Chinese businesses are victims of extortion by Asian youth gangs, there is no reliable information to examine the patterns and social processes of the problem. This paper explores the structure of extortion and other forms of victimization based on surveys of (N=603) Chinese-owned businesses in three Chinatown neighborhoods in New York City. It focuses on the nature of Chinese crime groups, social contexts of gang extortion, social processes of victimization, and merchants' compliance or resistance to gang demands. Finally, the paper discusses the problems and prospects of Chinese criminality in America.Support for this research was provided by Grant 89-IJ-CX-0021 from the National Institute of Justice. The opinions are those of the authors and do not reflect the policies or views of the U.S. Department of Justice.