Catholic bishop had no "duty" to report child abuse: lawyer - Reuters

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By Carey Gillam

KANSAS CITY | Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:20pm EDT

KANSAS CITY (Reuters) - A Catholic Bishop in Kansas City did not have a legal obligation to report suspected child sexual abuse by a local priest even if he knew about it, a lawyer for the bishop said on Tuesday.

In a preview to the upcoming trial of Bishop Robert Finn of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, a lawyer for Finn asked Jackson County Circuit Judge John Torrence to dismiss the charge against him because he said there was another Diocese official who should have reported the priest to police.

"Bishop Finn had no statutory duty to report. We believe that this is clear," said attorney J.R. Hobbs in arguing for Judge Torrence to dismiss the case against Finn.

Judge Torrence said he would take the matter under advisement and likely rule on the matter next week.

Bishop Finn is the highest-ranking Catholic leader to face criminal charges in the United States related to alleged abuse by a priest.

His case marks what some observers see as a key turning point in assigning accountability to an organization that has a long history of protecting priests who abuse children.

The priest in this case, Father Shawn Ratigan, has been charged with 13 counts of child pornography, some of which he kept on a church computer, and is jailed awaiting trial.

Bishop Finn and others in the Diocese became aware of the pictures in December 2010 but Finn never made an official report to authorities even though he did send Ratigan for psychological evaluation and ordered him to stay away from children.

Another Diocese official finally reported the situation to police in May 2011.

During his hearing, the bishop sat stoically in the courtroom, clad in his cleric's collar with a large gold cross dangling from a gold chain around his neck.

He joked afterward with his attorney, smiling and laughing before exiting through a back door to the courtroom.

LEGAL DUTY TO REPORT?

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker argued against dismissal, saying Bishop Finn not only had a legal duty to report the suspected child abuse, but as the head of the Diocese, he was the key person who should have reported it.

A Diocese "response team" set up to deal with suspected child abuse by priests was never even activated, she said.

The "pornographic pictures of young girls" Finn became aware of more than fit the definition of what the Bishop knew authorities should be alerted to, Baker said. "There were policies in place. But they didn't use them," Baker said.

Finn, who leads about 134,000 Catholics of the Kansas City-area Diocese, was charged in October with one misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected abuse of a child.

The charges are based on "mandated reporter" laws, which require school officials, clergy and virtually anyone with access to and control over a child to immediately alert child protective services and law enforcement if they have any reason to suspect abuse or child endangerment.

Finn's lawyer argued another Diocese official was designated as the mandated reporter, which meant Finn did not have to make a report himself. That individual, Monsignor Robert Murphy, was the one who ultimately did report Ratigan to police.

Both Finn and the Diocese were indicted by a grand jury in Jackson County in October. It heard evidence that the Bishop had received warnings for months that the 46-year-old priest posed a threat. Both have pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Finn faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $1,000 fine on the misdemeanor charge.

(Editing by Tim Gaynor and Todd Eastham)

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Latin America's Top Health Care Haven - U.S. News & World Report (blog)

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Health care, both the quality and the cost, is a prime concern for anyone approaching retirement. Some retirees are moving abroad in order to get access to top-notch health care at affordable prices.

Here’s the good news: You have an excellent option for arranging access to world class medical care that is as good or better than services you could get from the best facilities in the U.S. And most health care facilities overseas charge just a fraction of the cost of similar care in the U.S.

Doctors in the U.S. struggle with high overheads and insurance costs, while trying to keep the drug companies happy and fend off personal injury lawyers. The patient often takes a back seat to all these conflicting agendas. The improvement in the quality of care can be dramatic when only the doctor and the patient are involved in the doctor-patient relationship.

Cuenca, Ecuador, for example, is one of the world’s top places to consider retiring overseas for many reasons, most notably this city’s excellent health care system. The cost of care in this city is so low that it’s a place where you could go without health insurance, if you chose, and pay for care as you need it. I know several retired Americans in Cuenca who have taken this approach and been very happy with their decision.

Cuenca is becoming a popular city for medical tourism, and has begun offering city-sponsored programs. Cuenca’s five top hospitals have joined together to offer a package deal. The medical tourist (or retiree) is provided with an ID card that entitles you to a package of exams at standard prices at the facility of your choice. You sign up for the bundle of medical services that best suits your needs. Prices range from $66 to $401 for the entire suite. Here are some examples:

Mammogram: $40Chest X-ray: $25PSA test: $15Cholesterol workup (Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides): $8EKG: $25EEG: $60

One important advantage of medical care in Ecuador is that the results and records belong to the patient. The doctor delivers them to you, along with any recommendation, and you can do as you please, easily going somewhere else for follow-up or treatment if you like. Your medical tourist card also entitles you to hotel and travel discounts throughout the city, including things like hot springs and massages. You can see the city, while getting a great check-up at a low price.

Even if you’re not part of this program, your costs for health care services can be very low. A hospital stay in a semi-private room at Santa Ana Hospital is just $30. A private room with an extra bed for family members is $50, while a private suite is $75, including meals, but not doctor fees or medications.

A friend recently had a minor surgery performed at this facility. The total cost was $90, including the outpatient surgery, office visit, local anesthesia, and supplies. In addition, he paid $20 for associated lab work, bringing the total to $110. My friend had the exact same procedure performed in Arizona in 2011. The total cost there was $5,190. After insurance, his portion of the bill came to $347. It cost 300 percent more to have the same procedure performed with insurance in the U.S. than it cost to undergo the procedure without insurance in Ecuador.

Going without health insurance can be frightening and certainly isn’t for everyone. If you would prefer to carry insurance, coverage can be extremely inexpensive in Cuenca. For example, premiums cost less than $60 per month for complete coverage for a 60-year-old male.

Retirees considering a move overseas should also make sure each place provides nursing home care in case it is eventually needed. Many countries simply don’t provide assisted living facilities to a standard the typical North American retiree is probably looking for. Cuenca is an exception. In this city you will find good nursing home care at an affordable price. The total cost for a clean, professionally staffed facility where the residents are well cared for can be $450 per month, including 24-hour doctor and nurse attendance, food, laundry, personal care, and occupational or rehabilitative therapy.

Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group. With more than 25 years experience covering this beat, Kathleen reports daily on current opportunities for living, retiring, and investing overseas in her free e-letter. Her book, How To Retire Overseas—Everything You Need To Know To Live Well Abroad For Less, was recently released by Penguin Books.

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Personal injury lawyers & lawyers in the U.S. industry market research report ...-PR Web (press release)

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) March 13, 2012

Income for the personal injury lawyers and attorneys industry are expected to grow to $ 26.7 billion annually, 1.9% in the five years to 2012. In this period, the industry has benefited from an increase in the average age of the u.s. population, which led to the number of visits to the doctor has to rise. According to IBISWorld industry analyst Kevin Culbert contributes "the aging of the u.s. population to growth of the industry because older individuals are more prone to accidents slip-and-fall, which can result in personal injury cases." Besides, the subsequent growth in the number of doctor visit results in a greater number of malpractice suits. This factor is expected to contribute to the sales growth in 2012.

Unlike many industries that has the industry declined during the recession, personal injury attorneys and lawyers a countercyclical nature to it. During the five years until 2012, the number of car accidents has dropped the United States is expected to reach 1.4% per year to 5.6 million. Also, the number of workplace deaths declined on a year basis of 3.2% to 4,801. "In spite of this," says Culbert, "the recession has created cash-strapped individuals are more likely to be a personal injury case in case of an injury." As such, make the decrease of potential customers not the poor performance of the industry during the recession.

In the five years until 2017, is 2.0% to 29.5 billion dollar industry annually grow revenue forecast. During that time, the industry operators will benefit from an increase in revenue generated by structured settlements, which have become more popular over the last five years. Structured settlements are a scheme in which damages be paid off over a period of time instead of all at once. During the recession was more popular structured settlements because many defendants were not able to pay damages in a lump sum. As such, the industry operators a large part of the revenue from past settlements generating in the years going forward. While structured settlements boost industry profit margins in the next five years, will help the growth of profits of the industry will be restrained by increasing price competition. An inflow of law students, who pursued degrees instead of the labour market, enter will lead to higher competition and a boost in the number of small businesses. The industry will remain very fragmented, with the average company with only three employees. For more information, visit personal injury lawyers & lawyers in the IBISWorld report of the U.S. in the U.S. industry page.

IBISWorld follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IBISWorld
IBISWorld friend on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IBISWorld/121347533189

IBISWorld industry report key topics

This industry includes practitioners of legal professions (i.e. lawyers or lawyers) that essentially the practice of personal injury law.

Industry performance
Executive Summary
Main external Drivers
Current performance
Industry-Outlook
Industry life cycle
Products & markets
Supply Chain
Products & services
Major markets
Globalisation & trade
Business Locations
Competitive landscape
Concentration in the market share
Key success factors
Cost structure Benchmarks
Entry Barriers
Large companies
Operating Conditions
Capital intensity
Key statistics
Industry data
Annual change
Important proportions

About IBISWorld Inc.
Acknowledged as the most trusted independent source of the nation of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers an extensive database of unique information and analysis on every u.s. industry. With an extensive online portfolio, appreciated for its depth and scope, rest the company clients with the insight to better business decisions. In addition to its headquarters in Los Angeles and IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations by more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.

View the original article here

Personal Injury Lawyers & Attorneys in the US Industry Market Research Report ... - PR Web (press release)

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AppId is over the quota
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) March 13, 2012

Revenue for the Personal Injury Lawyers and Attorneys industry is expected to grow 1.9% annually to $26.7 billion in the five years to 2012. Over this period, the industry has benefitted from an increase in the average age of the US population, which has caused the number of physician visits to rise. According to IBISWorld industry analyst Kevin Culbert, “The aging of the US population contributes to the industry's growth because older individuals are more likely to have slip-and-fall accidents, which can yield personal injury cases.” Furthermore, the subsequent growth in the number of physician's visit results in a greater number of malpractice suits. This factor is expected to contribute to revenue growth in 2012.

Unlike many industries that declined during the recession, the Personal Injury Lawyers and Attorneys industry has a countercyclical nature to it. During the five years to 2012, the number of auto accidents has declined in the United States is expected to fall 1.4% annually to 5.6 million. Similarly, the number of workplace deaths has declined at an annualized rate of 3.2% to 4,801. “In spite of this,” says Culbert, “the recession has made cash-strapped individuals more likely to pursue a personal injury case in the event of an injury.” As such, the decline in potential clients did not create industry poor performance during the recession.

In the five years to 2017, industry revenue is forecast to grow 2.0% annually to $29.5 billion. During that time, industry operators will benefit from an increase of revenue streams generated by structured settlements, which have become more popular during the past five years. Structured settlements are an arrangement in which damages are paid out over a period of time rather than all at once. During the recession, structured settlements became increasingly popular because many defendants were unable to pay damages in one lump sum. As such, industry operators will generate a great proportion of revenue from past settlements in the years going forward. While structured settlements will help boost industry profit margins over the next five years, industry profit growth will be restrained by increasing price competition. An influx of law students, who pursued degrees rather than enter the job market, will lead to higher competition and a boost in the number of small firms. The industry will remain highly fragmented, with the average firm having only three employees. For more information, visit IBISWorld’s Personal Injury Lawyers & Attorneys in the US report in the US industry page.

Follow IBISWorld on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IBISWorld
Friend IBISWorld on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IBISWorld/121347533189

IBISWorld industry Report Key Topics

This industry comprises legal practitioners (i.e. lawyers or attorneys) that primarily practice personal injury law.

Industry Performance
Executive Summary
Key External Drivers
Current Performance
Industry Outlook
Industry Life Cycle
Products & Markets
Supply Chain
Products & Services
Major Markets
Globalization & Trade
Business Locations
Competitive Landscape
Market Share Concentration
Key Success Factors
Cost Structure Benchmarks
Barriers to Entry
Major Companies
Operating Conditions
Capital Intensity
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Annual Change
Key Ratios

About IBISWorld Inc.
Recognized as the nation’s most trusted independent source of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers a comprehensive database of unique information and analysis on every US industry. With an extensive online portfolio, valued for its depth and scope, the company equips clients with the insight necessary to make better business decisions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations through more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.

View the original article here

Personal injury lawyers & lawyers in the U.S. industry market research report ...-PR Web (press release)

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) March 13, 2012

Income for the personal injury lawyers and attorneys industry are expected to grow to $ 26.7 billion annually, 1.9% in the five years to 2012. In this period, the industry has benefited from an increase in the average age of the u.s. population, which led to the number of visits to the doctor has to rise. According to IBISWorld industry analyst Kevin Culbert contributes "the aging of the u.s. population to growth of the industry because older individuals are more prone to accidents slip-and-fall, which can result in personal injury cases." Besides, the subsequent growth in the number of doctor visit results in a greater number of malpractice suits. This factor is expected to contribute to the sales growth in 2012.

Unlike many industries that has the industry declined during the recession, personal injury attorneys and lawyers a countercyclical nature to it. During the five years until 2012, the number of car accidents has dropped the United States is expected to reach 1.4% per year to 5.6 million. Also, the number of workplace deaths declined on a year basis of 3.2% to 4,801. "In spite of this," says Culbert, "the recession has created cash-strapped individuals are more likely to be a personal injury case in case of an injury." As such, make the decrease of potential customers not the poor performance of the industry during the recession.

In the five years until 2017, is 2.0% to 29.5 billion dollar industry annually grow revenue forecast. During that time, the industry operators will benefit from an increase in revenue generated by structured settlements, which have become more popular over the last five years. Structured settlements are a scheme in which damages be paid off over a period of time instead of all at once. During the recession was more popular structured settlements because many defendants were not able to pay damages in a lump sum. As such, the industry operators a large part of the revenue from past settlements generating in the years going forward. While structured settlements boost industry profit margins in the next five years, will help the growth of profits of the industry will be restrained by increasing price competition. An inflow of law students, who pursued degrees instead of the labour market, enter will lead to higher competition and a boost in the number of small businesses. The industry will remain very fragmented, with the average company with only three employees. For more information, visit personal injury lawyers & lawyers in the IBISWorld report of the U.S. in the U.S. industry page.

IBISWorld follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IBISWorld
IBISWorld friend on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IBISWorld/121347533189

IBISWorld industry report key topics

This industry includes practitioners of legal professions (i.e. lawyers or lawyers) that essentially the practice of personal injury law.

Industry performance
Executive Summary
Main external Drivers
Current performance
Industry-Outlook
Industry life cycle
Products & markets
Supply Chain
Products & services
Major markets
Globalisation & trade
Business Locations
Competitive landscape
Concentration in the market share
Key success factors
Cost structure Benchmarks
Entry Barriers
Large companies
Operating Conditions
Capital intensity
Key statistics
Industry data
Annual change
Important proportions

About IBISWorld Inc.
Acknowledged as the most trusted independent source of the nation of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers an extensive database of unique information and analysis on every u.s. industry. With an extensive online portfolio, appreciated for its depth and scope, rest the company clients with the insight to better business decisions. In addition to its headquarters in Los Angeles and IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations by more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.

View the original article here

Personal injury lawyers & lawyers in the U.S. industry market research report ...-PR Web (press release)

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) March 13, 2012

Income for the personal injury lawyers and attorneys industry are expected to grow to $ 26.7 billion annually, 1.9% in the five years to 2012. In this period, the industry has benefited from an increase in the average age of the u.s. population, which led to the number of visits to the doctor has to rise. According to IBISWorld industry analyst Kevin Culbert contributes "the aging of the u.s. population to growth of the industry because older individuals are more prone to accidents slip-and-fall, which can result in personal injury cases." Besides, the subsequent growth in the number of doctor visit results in a greater number of malpractice suits. This factor is expected to contribute to the sales growth in 2012.

Unlike many industries that has the industry declined during the recession, personal injury attorneys and lawyers a countercyclical nature to it. During the five years until 2012, the number of car accidents has dropped the United States is expected to reach 1.4% per year to 5.6 million. Also, the number of workplace deaths declined on a year basis of 3.2% to 4,801. "In spite of this," says Culbert, "the recession has created cash-strapped individuals are more likely to be a personal injury case in case of an injury." As such, make the decrease of potential customers not the poor performance of the industry during the recession.

In the five years until 2017, is 2.0% to 29.5 billion dollar industry annually grow revenue forecast. During that time, the industry operators will benefit from an increase in revenue generated by structured settlements, which have become more popular over the last five years. Structured settlements are a scheme in which damages be paid off over a period of time instead of all at once. During the recession was more popular structured settlements because many defendants were not able to pay damages in a lump sum. As such, the industry operators a large part of the revenue from past settlements generating in the years going forward. While structured settlements boost industry profit margins in the next five years, will help the growth of profits of the industry will be restrained by increasing price competition. An inflow of law students, who pursued degrees instead of the labour market, enter will lead to higher competition and a boost in the number of small businesses. The industry will remain very fragmented, with the average company with only three employees. For more information, visit personal injury lawyers & lawyers in the IBISWorld report of the U.S. in the U.S. industry page.

IBISWorld follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IBISWorld
IBISWorld friend on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IBISWorld/121347533189

IBISWorld industry report key topics

This industry includes practitioners of legal professions (i.e. lawyers or lawyers) that essentially the practice of personal injury law.

Industry performance
Executive Summary
Main external Drivers
Current performance
Industry-Outlook
Industry life cycle
Products & markets
Supply Chain
Products & services
Major markets
Globalisation & trade
Business Locations
Competitive landscape
Concentration in the market share
Key success factors
Cost structure Benchmarks
Entry Barriers
Large companies
Operating Conditions
Capital intensity
Key statistics
Industry data
Annual change
Important proportions

About IBISWorld Inc.
Acknowledged as the most trusted independent source of the nation of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers an extensive database of unique information and analysis on every u.s. industry. With an extensive online portfolio, appreciated for its depth and scope, rest the company clients with the insight to better business decisions. In addition to its headquarters in Los Angeles and IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations by more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.

View the original article here