Articles Posted in Dangerous Drugs

CDC Prisoners

CDC Prisoners seeking early release via the granting of parole.

LA DA GEORGE GASCON CONTINUES TO MAKE WAVES WITH PAROLE CHANGES

Since being sworn in as Los Angeles County District Attorney in December 2020, George Gascon has hardly been out of the headlines. From eliminating sentence enhancements for hate crimes and dismissing gang enhancements to removing firearm allegations and continuing to push for resentencing and sentence commutation; Gascon has shown himself to maintain a progressive approach focused on rehabilitation. His latest changes to the DA’s office have been highly controversial. 

NEW LA COUNTY DA PROMOTING SWEEPING CHANGES (GEORGE GASCON)

On December 7, 2020, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon was sworn in as the County’s 43rd District Attorney. Following his defeat of Jackie Lacey, a DA who had built a reputation for a “tough-on-crime” approach, Gascon went straight to work making changes to his office true to his platform of criminal justice reform, progressive services, and rehabilitative prosecution. A main goal of his platform being lowering the prison population. 

Gascon’s less punitive approach to crime includes no more gang enhancements, eliminating cash bail (including no longer seeking bail for anyone facing a misdemeanor charge or non-violent or non-serious felony), ending use of the death penalty, and providing resentencing eligibility. These major changes are expected to lead to the early release of thousands of state prison inmates whom Gascon said are unfairly serving overly long sentences.

Lawsuits involving potentially dangerous or defective drugs are extremely common today. One example that’s been in the news recently is Risperdal, a drug manufactured by Johnson & Johnson for the treatment of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and the irritability that can result in those with autism.

Countless lawsuits have been filed against the pharmaceutical giant in recent months after young male patients taking Risperdal have reportedly developed female breasts, according to an article at Bloomberg.  In fact, last year Johnson & Johnson had to pay $70 million in damages after a Philadelphia jury sided with a teen from Tennessee, the largest amount ever awarded in a case involving Risperdal.

Earlier this month there were some 18,500 pending lawsuits across the U.S. and Canada involving injury from taking the drug, a condition known as gynecomastia (breast growth in males) against J & J and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, its subsidiary. The majority of the cases at that time were filed in Missouri, Pennsylvania, and California however other claims were still pending in numerous courts in both countries. While Johnson & Johnson faced many lawsuits in 2016 involving pelvic mesh, talcum powder, and hip implants, cases involving Risperdal and gynecomastia continue to evolve.

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