Has any EMS provider here ever served as a witness during a trial?

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ParamedicStudent

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Have any of you guys been a witness for a homicide or assault trial? Just wondering what were your experiences like. I'd figure that EMS providers are usually the first healthcare providers and since they work with the police often, they may be asked to be a witness.

If so, what was the process like? Were you asked to come in or can you be forced? Were you paid by your company, or paid by some organization/department?
 
This is why you document well enough so you personally never have to go to trial.

Your report may be subpoenaed instead.
 
I've testified a few times, once in a homicide trial. We get subpoenas from time to time. Usually, the prosecutor (or the defense, but usually the prosecution) want to meet with us before hand to discuss our report. Sometimes we've been released from the subpoena after that meeting. I've been paid by my agency for any time spent in court.

Perhaps, it's a state difference, but I've never heard of an EMS report being entered into evidence without the medic being called to testify also. I've actually testified a couple times without my report being in evidence.
 
ParamedicStudent said:
Have any of you guys been a witness for a homicide or assault trial? Just wondering what were your experiences like. I'd figure that EMS providers are usually the first healthcare providers and since they work with the police often, they may be asked to be a witness.

If so, what was the process like? Were you asked to come in or can you be forced? Were you paid by your company, or paid by some organization/department?
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I haven't for EMS, but i can tell you what its like from the law side..If you did a good PCR and what not it should just be subpoenaed as akflight said. the meeting Ensihoitaja is most likely talking about would be a PSI(pre sentencing investigation), where they get their ducks in a row essentially. Been there done that multiple times now. Lmk if you'd want that.
 
Agree. I have been in the early meeting and when I basically refer to the report for everything, then the report is all they need. My legal proceedings almost always involved lawsuits and not criminal trials though, only done two MVC criminal events and my report sufficed. As a medic I had very little value to add to the overall situation.
 
Been subpoenaed once. Gave a written statement for the state and was done in a half hour. Didn't have to testify. It was for a pediatric abuse case

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Thankfully each criminal case was pled, and although there was a subpeona and all... it never got to actual trial.

I've been hunted down to be questioned for two civil wrongful death cases. However, I had moved out of the state of Pennsylvania by the time both of those came through, and the legal teams never followed through with me.
 
Sitting in the hallway at the courthouse is as close as I have come. But it was a eye opener on how bad my charting was for that call. We had just gone to EPCRs and I had no idea what my chart looked like on paper. When my manager gave me a paper copy of my chart I was shocked on what it looked like.

Since that time I will act like I am going to print my chart and see what the hospital or lawyers will be looking at before I post it.
 
Been to court once on a Manslaughter by abuse/neglect type case. Document everything, if it is in your report it happened, if it isn't in your report, it didn't happen. Again, document everything, and document some more. Especially in any "suspicious" case.
 
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