CA - Nicole Lorraine Linton, 37, speeds through intersection kills 6, including pregnant woman in fiery crash, Los Angeles, 4 Aug. '22

[fridaybaker]

I wish mental health was treated more seriously in this country and we had resources available so that perhaps people who are ill would receive treatment, and stop causing these situations. I don't think you can call it a "canard" unless you know the person directly.
I would be very interested to see all the info in this case.

**Edited** I didn't mean to do this twice and idk how to delete one. Sorry all!

Of course, we don’t know the situation here. I was just commenting that it is often the case, IMO.

 

[PrairieWind]

Does anyone know if they have her cell phone? Would love to know what her last conversation was, although that obviously wouldn’t be available. Still, though, it could maybe lend some insight.

Should be able to determine if she was on a call just before or at the time of the crash. or texting.

 

[PrairieWind]

As someone from the UK where these sorts of things are heavily restricted, it always amazes me in US cases how Americans are seemingly free to discuss and show whatever they like straight after the incident. How is showing that video on the news and the following speculation from witnesses and presenters not prejudicial to any trial?

Don't get me wrong, for selfish reasons I like it as it makes US cases much easier to follow than the UK ones where you still often don't get the full picture even after the trial. However I do think it damages the fairness of the justice system having this free for all with seemingly no restriction on what people can show or say.

The First Amendment prohibits government from restricting most of this. And the video was privately owned, so LE can't prohibit the owner from releasing it. I don't think in this case it is prejudicial. What happened happened. A jury doesn't have to not have knowledge of a case. Just not have formed a firm opinion and be willing to consider all the evidence. The parties generally do a good job of selecting jurors I think.

 

[vls12345]

I thought I saw somewhere that they said it was her hand and she was giving the middle finger.

I asked that earlier in the thread, after looking at the video frame by frame. I couldn't tell what she was doing other than it looked like her arm was out the driver's window. I gave a list of possibilities but said I didn't know as I couldn't distinguish a clear enough picture to know. (The enlarged screen grab shows it more clearly than I could see it looking through the video myself; with the new screen grab, it does indeed look like she's holding a phone in her hand. Imo.)

I was throwing theories out there. But they were just that -- theories. Not fact.

Sorry if I added to any confusion.

MOO.

 

[ilovewings]

It's a good way to delay things. Once the parade of psychiatrists shows up, the process gets muddied.
Just my opinion. The judge needs to be on top of this, or it could take years before justice is done.

Defense tactic 101- delay delay delay- and ya know, it works many times

 

[ilovewings]

ppl talk a lot of crap about cali and i get it, but "mental health" does not get anyone off. yes it takes a long time. but if they are deemed mentally unfit, they are sent to atascadero or metro which is like hospital prison until they are medicated and lucid then sent back to their county of offense. sometimes they refuse meds and starts over again. rinse and repeat. i find Marylands system worse (look up catherine hoggle)

I googled Catherine Hoggle and briefly read the info: Holy moly, her kids went missing in 2014-- all this haggling about her mental state--- and criminal charges could actually be dismissed. what a mess! Meanwhile where is the justice for her children?

 

[Mrspratcher]

[…]

The company which farmed out an ICU nurse with her own 'profound' mental health problems is refusing to comment on how she was vetted for the job, as she is charged with murdering six people in a horror car crash last week.

[…]

Linton was working at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center, but she'd been sent there by AMN Healthcare, a travel nursing company that farms out skilled contractors to where they are most needed.

[…]

'Mentally ill' nurse charged with murder worked in 5 states in 2 years


'Mentally ill' nurse charged with murder worked in 5 states in 2 years

 

[AC's Grandma]

[…]

The company which farmed out an ICU nurse with her own 'profound' mental health problems is refusing to comment on how she was vetted for the job, as she is charged with murdering six people in a horror car crash last week.

[…]

Linton was working at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center, but she'd been sent there by AMN Healthcare, a travel nursing company that farms out skilled contractors to where they are most needed.

[…]

'Mentally ill' nurse charged with murder worked in 5 states in 2 years


'Mentally ill' nurse charged with murder worked in 5 states in 2 years

As a previous employee of this travel nurse company and others (internal recruiter) there is no vetting of a person's mental health. They are confirmed as having a valid license for their position and take a test to show their nursing qualifications (if that's the position) and the specific skills such as ICU, ER, Med-Surg, etc. We never have and never would ask someone for their medical information with exception to their vaccine record as required by the state or facility they will be working.

 

[Marysmith]

As a previous employee of this travel nurse company and others (internal recruiter) there is no vetting of a person's mental health. They are confirmed as having a valid license for their position and take a test to show their nursing qualifications (if that's the position) and the specific skills such as ICU, ER, Med-Surg, etc. We never have and never would ask someone for their medical information with exception to their vaccine record as required by the state or facility they will be working.

And I’m sure most travel company’s are the same. Especially right now as healthcare facilities are desperate.

 

[SuziQ]

The First Amendment prohibits government from restricting most of this. And the video was privately owned, so LE can't prohibit the owner from releasing it. I don't think in this case it is prejudicial. What happened happened. A jury doesn't have to not have knowledge of a case. Just not have formed a firm opinion and be willing to consider all the evidence. The parties generally do a good job of selecting jurors I think.

I agree. And freedom of the press is supposed to keep everyone honest and discourage cover ups.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Defense tactic 101- delay delay delay- and ya know, it works many times

Agreed. IMO unless the court finds her criminally insane (which I HIGHLY doubt), mental health issues (or diagnosis) are generally not seen as an excuse for such horrific behavior.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

Like many other professional licenses ( MD, DDS, RT, MT), state licensing agencies rely on self-reporting of mental health, drug or alcohol dependency, major arrests or professional reprimands.

If she has been under the radar and avoided felonies, profesional reprimands, and mandated drug or alcohol dependency programs, then she can likely get established licenses renewed without fuss as long as she makes the payment.

it's really only after an event such as this one occurs that her renewal applications will be reviewed and scrutinized

This is sort of true, but not entirely. Anyone can report a doctor or nurse to the state medical board or to the state physician health program. They then investigate and may call her in for an evaluation. So in her case, I'm guessing there's never been a problem at work, such as showing up drunk/hungover or serious incidents that resulted in them wondering about her mental health.

 

[ilovewings]

'Mentally ill' nurse charged with murder worked in 5 states in 2 years

Nicole Linton, 37, is in custody in California on six murder charges for killing a pregnant woman, her boyfriend, the woman's one-year-old son, a man and two other women on August 4.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[White_Mountains]

Like many other professional licenses ( MD, DDS, RT, MT), state licensing agencies rely on self-reporting of mental health, drug or alcohol dependency, major arrests or professional reprimands.

If she has been under the radar and avoided felonies, profesional reprimands, and mandated drug or alcohol dependency programs, then she can likely get established licenses renewed without fuss as long as she makes the payment.

it's really only after an event such as this one occurs that her renewal applications will be reviewed and scrutinized

This is true, Herat. Sadly, it has been my experience (with 30 years of healthcare experience, including ethics committees), that even if an employer/colleague/supervisor notices issues relating to mental health or substance use, they are reluctant to report to the board of nursing. Each institution has their own reasons why that might be but I have personally heard “we don’t want this in the papers” uttered in quiet conference rooms. Despite having institutional policies to the contrary.

Most boards of nursing will do a criminal background check (not all - scary - see NY and MA). But as you’ve so thoughtfully pointed out, if mental health issues are present and a person doesn’t self-report issues, there may not be someone who has the moral courage to make a complaint to the BON about fitness to practice. TX Nursing Fitness to Practice Rules and Regs provides some interesting reading as to the requirements in TX, as just one such example.

I truly hope that it wasn’t an intentional act that led to the crash. It shocks the conscience that this could be the case.

 

[Dre]

I genuinely believe that she’s holding her phone and filming her suicide, and why they were able to charge her with murder immediately. Jmo though!

 

[Knox]

They will pull out all the stops to get her off on insanity. The problem is, that defense is rarely successful. Her attorneys would have to prove she did not even know the difference between right and wrong. It's a very high bar to climb. She is going to serve extended prison time no matter what the eventual outcome is here. But be ready to wait a long, long time. Five-to-seven years before an actual trial is not uncommon here in California.

This crime is just incomprehensible. Above all, I want to know the entire story. Did she do this on purpose, to kill herself and a lot of other people??

I'm on my phone so I don't have the link, but I listened to the hearing this morning.

-The tox screen came back clean, no drugs or alcohol.
-She has been in California for a year and was preparing to go to Hawaii
-Her DL license was from Texas.
-Her sister was at the hearing and is working on finding a psychiatric facility she can be placed instead of jail.
-Attorney responded to the DAs statement about an car accident in 2020. I couldn't hear what all the DA said, but her Attorney said something about cause/fault wasn't known.
-Judge said no bail because being a nurse she should have been aware of her limitations.

The rest was pretty much standard hearing wranglings.

 

[squareandrabbet]

Odds Favor Drunk Trauma Victims
A study in the journal American Surgeon finds that trauma victims who were inebriated at the time of their injury have higher survival rates than their sober counterparts. Rachel Kremen reports

A retrospective study of nearly 8,000 trauma patients found that seven percent of people who came in sober died of their injuries, while those who were hurt while drunk only died one percent of the time. A positive blood alcohol level seemed to increase the likelihood of survival, even after the researchers took into account the age of the patient and the severity of the injury. Trauma patients who came in to the hospital drunk were discharged sooner, too.

Odds Favor Drunk Trauma Victims

A study in the journal American Surgeon finds that trauma victims who were inebriated at the time of their injury have higher survival rates than their sober counterparts. Rachel Kremen reports

www.scientificamerican.com

This has scientific backing, doesn't it? I thought the underpinning belief is that drunk/high people don't tense up or brace, rather rolling with the impact like rubber balls, so they're less likely to become an immovable object.

 

[sleuthin4fun]

Are they able to drive straight and stay in their lane?

If she had a medical event of some sort and her car was in good alignment, yes it could continue straight. I am not saying that is what happened, but I believe it is possible.

 

[LaborDayRN]

This has scientific backing, doesn't it? I thought the underpinning belief is that drunk/high people don't tense up or brace, rather rolling with the impact like rubber balls, so they're less likely to become an immovable object.

Statistically yes. It's also interesting to me that my colleagues in the E.D. would sometimes comment on how they noticed it with their patients. I agree that it's most likely the fact that and inebriated persons body is so relaxed.

 

[LucyOso]

Statistically yes. It's also interesting to me that my colleagues in the E.D. would sometimes comment on how they noticed it with their patients. I agree that it's most likely the fact that and inebriated persons body is so relaxed.

Decreased reaction time also means a decrease in normal self-preservation i.e. bracing oneself, arresting a fall, etc. The force of impact can "pass through" them when inebriated. This is also a foundation of martial arts as well.