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A motion to dismiss charges against a director of nurses, charged with elder abuse in connection with the death of a patient, was denied and a trial date was set Friday morning. Judge Daniel B. Proud said to defendant Donna Palmer and her attorney, Patrick Hanly, that he would first make a ruling regarding a [...]
The nurse, who pleaded no contest to elder abuse after a patient in her care died, was sentenced in court on Wednesday. Rebecca Smith appeared with her attorney, Guy Louie, before Judge Robert Baysinger. After her case was pushed from the morning to the afternoon, Baysinger noted that the sentence proposed by the El Dorado [...]
A former director of nurses for the El Dorado Care Center appeared in court for an day-long hearing to determine whether there was enough evidence to be formally arraigned.
Donna Palmer, who has been charged with elder abuse after patient Johnnie Esco, 77, died after receiving care at EDCC.
Deputy Attorney General Steven Muni, the prosecutor, began the hearing by calling his first witness, Donna Eileen Pielin, a licensed vocational nurse who took care of Esco while at EDCC.
Donna Palmer appeared in court for a just a few minutes Friday morning to schedule an all-day preliminary hearing date. Alongside defense attorney Patrick Hanly, Palmer stood in the courtroom while Deputy Attorney General Steven Muni and El Dorado County Judge Daniel B. Proud tried to schedule a date for the hearing around other trials [...]
Rebecca Smith, one of two nurses charged with elder abuse after a patient in their care died, appeared briefly in court Thursday morning to accept a plea agreement. Smith, who appeared alongside attorney Guy Louie, pleaded no contest to the first count against her, elder or dependent adult abuse, between Feb. 23, 2008 and March [...]
Donna Palmer’s attorney, Patrick Hanly, stood in for both her and co-defendant Rebecca Smith and her attorney Guy Louie, to request a change of date for a preliminary hearing Monday morning. Hanly, currently involved in a trial in Sacramento, requested that Judge Douglas C. Phimister continue the preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday in hopes that [...]
Don Esco, 81, shakily stood up and approached the witness stand, relying on a cane to hold him steady. His raised his right hand, said the oath, and took his seat. The focus of a court hearing Aug. 2, Esco was questioned for the next hour and a half on the events surrounding his wife’s death and why he thought the care provided for her was inadequate.
Deputy Attorney General Steven Muni began his questioning with an inquiry into Esco’s health. Esco said his physical condition was “not good,” noting he had upcoming spinal surgery and suffers from diabetes, Parkinson’s, chronic pulmonary problems and sleep apnea. He’s also lost 25 pounds in the last three months.
Muni then asked about Johnnie, Esco’s wife, whose death led to charges of elder abuse against nurses Donna Palmer and Rebecca Smith.
The Western Slope Health Center — formerly El Dorado Medical Care — is doing its best to improve itself amidst a court case involving two nurses from the former facility. Donna Palmer and Rebecca Smith face charges of alleged elder abuse relating to the death of Johnnie Esco while the facility was still El Dorado [...]
Donna Palmer, the nurse who is accused of elder abuse that led to the death of Johnnie Esco, appeared in court to find out if she would need supervision in hands-off nursing positions. Palmer, who appeared with her attorney, Patrick Hanly, and attorney Guy Louie, who was representing co-defendant Rebecca Smith, has been employed in a [...]
On Feb. 23, 2008, Johnnie Esco, 77, was admitted to the El Dorado Convalescent Hospital in Placerville, having stayed at Marshall Hospital for a bout of pneumonia. On March 6, she was readmitted to Marshall and within 24 hours was dead. Her husband, Don, 81, has since helped launch an investigation involving falsified nursing reports [...]
Elementary school Principal Sam LaCara was shot to death Wednesday morning in his office at Placerville’s Louisiana Schnell School campus. School janitor John Luebbers is believed to have mortally wounded LaCara, 50, with a single gunshot wound to the abdomen shortly before 10:40 a.m. Wednesday. Authorities believe LaCara was targeted by Luebbers. No children were [...]
While most people have had narrow escapes from death, Howard Payne’s large family owes their existence to his stopping to eat lunch during a typhoon in the South Pacific. On Nov. 15, Swansboro resident Payne turns 86. He and his wife of 64 years, Violet, have five children, 10 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Payne was [...]