Consequences of Choices

In the case of Pomona County, Calif. Versus Keith Cook, the defendant was charged with murder after hitting and killing Jadine Russell a 55-year old mother of five. Mr. Cook's was driving under the influence of alcohol; his blood alcohol level was twice the state of California's legal limit.

This is how the story is known; Keith Cook had been enjoying himself at a party when he had an altercation with the party host. After Mr. Cook, made a flirtatious remark towards the party host's wife. The party host did not appreciate the manner in which Mr. Cook was behaving and he asked him to leave. Other party-goers offered Mr. Cook a ride, but he refused, got in his vehicle and headed home from the party. Meanwhile Jadine Russell, along with her daughter and two police officers were on the side of the road by Russell's disabled car. Keith Cook came up the hill driving over 70 miles per hour, in a 50 mile per hour zone, hit Jadine Russell's car and sent it into the four bystanders. The four victims never saw it coming. Jadine Russell was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead a few hours after the accident. Mr. Cook did not dispute that his carelessness caused the accident and the death of Jadine Russell, but he and his attorneys say Mr. Cook is innocent of her murder. Cooks attorneys also argue that while doctors worked feverously to save Mrs. Russell's life, she refused the very treatment that could have helped her, a blood transfusion. Doctors testified that Mrs. Russell had a punctured spleen and that a blood transfusion could have saved her life. So why would Jadine Russell refuse the one measure that could have saved her life? She was a devout Jehovah witness, a religion that forbids members of having the blood of another person in their body. I'm not going to pretend that I understand exactly why they believe this, nor am I going to argue the correctness of this belief, but I digress. Doctors say Mrs. Russell refused blood at least 10 times and even pulled at the I.V. in her arm. When the doctors explained to her that her decision could be life threatening, she responded by saying, "If it's my time to go, it's my time to go."

It would be irresponsible not to note that after further investigation it was uncovered that Mr.