Oh yeah....this is gonna end well....

[Blue_Tires]

Co-worker's return after 169 days behind bars shocks hospital staff

Harbor-UCLA surgical technician Norris Smith was convicted of shooting into a car. Last week he was back at work, despite the county's efforts to crack down on employees with criminal records.


A surgical technician convicted of firing a gun into an occupied car was back on the job last week at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, just days after being released from jail, despite vows by Los Angeles County officials to crack down on medical personnel with criminal records.

Norris Smith, 53, had spent 169 days behind bars before pleading no contest to the felony charge Aug. 26. In exchange for the plea, a five-year state prison sentence was suspended. He was placed on probation and ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment and abstain from alcohol, according to court records. Three other felony charges were dismissed.

Smith's return to work at a county hospital shocked colleagues, who said they have been concerned about his behavior since 2005, when he was suspended after threatening a doctor. He was arrested by Long Beach police in 2004 on suspicion of assault with a firearm, a charge prosecutors declined to pursue.

His case raised new questions about whether adequate measures are in place to screen county employees for criminal conduct.

Harbor-UCLA officials declined to comment on Smith's employment, calling it a "personnel matter." His August conviction was unrelated to any workplace issues.

Michael Wilson, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, said Smith is currently employed, earning an annual salary of about $45,000. But he declined additional comment, saying that the issue is under "administrative investigation."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-harbor-ucla17-2009sep17,0,6350144.story


that nutbar must be REALLY good at his job, or he must know where all the hospital's bones are buried...to recap he has a long history of anger issues, threats and altercations, has lashed out repeatedly at women and minority co-workers, and carries a gun....

[kestrel91316]

1. Time for the saner members of that hospital staff to band together and

march over to human resources and give them an ultimatum: either he goes, or all of us go.

[CTyankee]

2. I once worked in a woman's health clinic when a medical assistant threatened

to bring in a gun and start shooting.

I went directly to the Executive Director's office and demanded that she be fired. I said to her "I do not in places where people threaten to shoot me." She was fired.

It was understandable that I did that. I had lost a neice to gun violence only a year earlier. It ruined my brother's life...

[Caliman73]

3. Wow. That is some bullshit...

This raises way more questions than just the County's employment practices. To frame this, I disclose that I own firearms and support the right of responsible, law respecting people to do so. Given this, again I say, this is some bullshit!!

How was this guy in jail for less than half a year, then given a slap on the wrist suspended sentence for firing a gun into an occupied car? How the fuck does the legal system drop other felony charges and plea him down to this especially since he had prior arrests for firearms related crimes? How is this guy legally owning, much less carrying a firearm?

This person should be behind bars for a long, long time. What is to stop him from doing this type of stuff again> I mean he never really receives any kind of consequence. If he gets fired by the County, he is just going to think the County is in the wrong because he is a free man. This is why firearms laws do not work to stop firearms related crimes. When someone gets caught, the legal system pleas them down and sends them on their merry way. Meanwhile the throw the book at someone with a couple of ounces of marijuana. Just ridiculous!!

[damntexdem]

4. Hey, just trying to drum up a little business for his surgery.

You know, like fire fighters who set fires so they can respond to them.

;-)

[Blue_Tires]

5. morning kick

[benEzra]

6. He got PROBATION for felony aggravated assault with a firearm?????

WTF? And he kept his job?