FORCED ELECTROSHOCK OF PAUL HENRI
THOMAS MAY RESUME AS EARLY
AS TOMORROW
JUDGE W. BROMLEY HALL SUSPENDS
TEMPORARYRESTRAINING ORDER BEFORE SECOND PART OFPAUL'S COURT
HEARING IS EVEN FINISHED
PAUL MAY BE FORCIBLY SHOCKED IN
*MIDDLE* OF HIS OWN HEARING ABOUT FORCED SHOCK!
PAUL COMPARES FORCED
ELECTROSHOCK TO "ELECTROCUTION...
IT KILLS FREEDOM."
WEST BRENTWOOD, NEW YORK --
Paul Henri Thomas, whose
campaign to resist his forced electroshock has inspired
thousands of supporters, could be forcibly electroshocked
again as early as tomorrow, Friday, March
9, 2001. The judge has now removed a temporary restraining
order, even though the second part of Paul's
court hearing has still not been held.
Justice W. Bromley Hall lifted
the temporary restraining
order (TRO) which prohibited psychiatrists
at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center from administering
involuntary electroshock treatments to Paul
Henri Thomas, until after the Court reaches a decision
regarding whether to grant a new order for up
to 40 electroshock treatments to be administered once
or twice per week.
Paul could be electroshocked
tomorrow, even though the
second half of his hearing on forced electroshock
is scheduled for this Monday, March 9, 2001,
at 9:30 am at the Central Islip Court Complex, in
the new federal courthouse.
By phone today, Paul said he
knew he could be forcibly
electroshocked tomorrow. He repeated his appreciation
that so many people are hearing about his
situation, and supporting him. Paul said, "I care
a lot that people hear what I'm telling you. I was
impressed to see so many supporters at the first day
of my hearing despite the weather. Forcing anything
like this on people is an infringement. It kills
freedom. Please reach people and elected officials.
Tell them there is no emergency need for ECT.
I don't consider this to be electroshock, it is electrocution."
CAMPAIGN FOR PAUL UPSETS
HIGHER-UPS
Meanwhile, Justice W. Bromley
Hall has apparently heard
about the Support Coalition International web site
in support of Paul Henri Thomas. Justice Hall has
issued a subpoena to force the expert witness, Dr.
Ron Leifer, to produce all correspondence including
e-mail between Dr. Leifer and Support Coalition
International. Dr. Leifer had issued a public
statement which was posted on the SCI web site
in which Dr. Leifer calling the first half of the
hearing "scandalous." Dr. Leifer did not disclose
any confidential information about Paul.
At the same time, Pilgrim
Psychiatric Center is trying
to clamp down on communication between Paul and
the world. Pilgrim has issued a written order that
all papers signed by Paul must be intercepted by
Pilgrim and inspected. The same day as the first part
of Paul's public hearing, Pilgrim also issued an
order that Paul can no longer have unrestricted visitors
unless they are blood relatives. Advocates and
friends of Paul had been visiting him, and smuggling
out his poetry, letters and public statements,
which are now on the SCI web site. Paul must
now have one to one supervision for non-family visitors.
OMH is apparently feeling the
heat. The offices of at least half
a dozen New York State Senators and New
York State Assembly Members are now demanding OMH
answer their questions. Major media are covering Paul's
campaign.
ACTION ENCOURAGED
David Oaks, Director of Support
Coalition International,
said, "Involuntary electroshock against
the expressed wishes of the subject is, by definition,
torture. We are also concerned about any repression
that would try to chill the First Amendment
rights of Paul, his supporters, his expert witness,
and Support Coalition. We therefore call on all
supporters to please re-double your efforts to spread
news about Paul Henri Thomas. If you have web sites
or e-mail, please use those to get around any attempted
repression. The pen is mightier than the shock
machine."
Support Coalition's web site
has a Paul Campaign Support Site
at: http://www.MindFreedom.org
HEADQUARTERS OF NY OFFICE OF
MENTAL HEALTH APPEARS TO
DIRECT PUSH FOR FORCED SHOCK: NY
OMH TRIES TO HOLD ILLEGAL, COVERT EXAMINATION
OF PAUL YESTERDAY
There is more evidence that the
push for forced electroshock
is not just from Pilgrim Psychiatric Center
-- it extends directly to the main headquarters
of the New York Office of Mental Health (NY
OMH) in Albany, New York. Yesterday
afternoon, Wednesday March 7, 2001, Dr. William
Tucker, a psychiatrist from the headquarters of
NY OMH, apparently was part of an illegal examination
of Paul for electroshock, according to New
York State advocates. Dr. Tucker and a Pilgrim psychiatrist
-- Suzanne Tuzel M.D.-- covertly took Paul
off his ward to an area of Pilgrim where they apparently
hoped to avoid Paul's attorney, Kim Darrow.
However, acting on a tip Kim Darrow surprised
Dr. Tucker after about an hour of questioning.
Because of the legal proceedings, NY OMH
should not have given Paul an examination without
notifying his attorney.
Dr. Tucker is also one of the
main psychiatrists promoting
electroshock throughout the facilities run by
New York Office of Mental Health. A NY State advocate
reported, "NYS OMH psychiatrist William Tucker
examined Paul and has determined that he should
undergo more shock treatment. The psychiatrist,
William Tucker, produced a video show on
ECT that was shown in all the OMH psych centers in
NY state last week. The broadcast definitely promoted
shock, and made it seem as easy as having a tooth
pulled."
When asked about the illegal
examination yesterday, Paul
said, "My faith in God would inspire me to collaborate
with any physician, as long as they would
not intimidate me. But these physicians are trying
to make me think they are working with me, when
they are actually in complicity against me. That
is intimidating. I will not collaborate with them."
The events yesterday: A concerned party notified the attorney
for Paul Henri Thomas that Mr. Thomas was being
interviewed in the Rehabilitation Center at Pilgrim
Psychiatric Center. Upon investigation, the attorney
found Mr. Thomas in a closed room of the Rehabilitation
Center with William Tucker M.D., a psychiatrist
employed by the State Office of Mental Health,
and Suzanne Tuzel M.D., a psychiatrist employed
by Pilgrim Psychiatric Center.
Dr. Tucker and Dr. Tuzel had
covertly taken Paul off the
ward, to an area they apparently hoped Paul's attorney
would not be able to find. But Paul's attorney
did find them, and surprised the two psychiatrists.
The attorney was advised that
the two psychiatrists were
inquiring into Mr. Thomas' competence to consent
to electroshock treatment and the need for such
treatment. When their attention was called to the
fact that a court proceeding is pending concerning
those very issues, and that the Mental Hygiene
Legal Service should have received prior notice
of their intention to evaluate Mr. Thomas, Dr.
Tucker replied that he was well aware of the pending
court proceeding.
Mr. Thomas' attorney then
advised Dr. Tucker and Dr. Tuzel
that their interview with Mr. Thomas was finished.
Although Dr. Tucker questioned the attorney's
authority to terminate the evaluation, the
attorney advised Mr. Thomas to say nothing further
to them and Mr. Thomas and his attorney left the
room.
Paul Henri Thomas subsequently
advised his attorney that
Dr. Tucker and Dr. Tuzel had interviewed him for
approximately an hour before the attorney's arrival,
and that Dr. Tucker had done most of the questioning.
This attempt by Pilgrim
Psychiatric Center and the New
York Office of Mental Health to clandestinely perform
an evaluation of Mr. Thomas while litigation is
pending violated Mr. Thomas' rights to due process and
counsel under applicable New York case law. It appears
that the evaluation was conducted in the Rehabilitation
Center rather than in Mr. Thomas' ward
in order to avoid detection in as much as his attorney
had walked into a similar attempt by Pilgrim
psychiatrists to evaluate him without proper notice
the week before.
This unlawful and unethical
action on the part of Pilgrim
and the Office of Mental Health is being brought
to the attention of Justice W. Bromley Hall, the
judge presently presiding over Pilgrim's application
for authority to administer forced electroshock
treatment to Paul Henri Thomas.
PILGRIM MAY USE OUTDATED ORDER
TO DO SHOCK
Pilgrim has previously obtained
and used several orders for
forced electroshock. Estimates of the total
number of forced electroshocks Paul has already
received during his nearly two years of captivity
at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center range from 40
to more than 70.
The last few months, Pilgrim
had been forcibly shocking
Mr. Thomas under the last of these old orders.
This last order was obtained in early October,
2000, before the temporary restraining order
was instituted. This October order had authorized
Pilgrim Psychiatric Center to shock Mr. Thomas
up to 25 times at the rate of 2 to 3 shocks per
week. Mr. Thomas has already received 22 shocks under
that order. He has not received all 25 shocks yet,
because he has received the shocks less frequently
than specified in the order. Therefore, Paul's
advocates argue that any additional electroshock
using the old order would be in violation
of what it specified. Mr. Thomas' attorney is
preparing an appeal to the decision to lift the temporary
restraining order (TRO), which he will file
in Brooklyn.
Judge Hall said he lifted the
TRO without even considering
an affidavit from a psychologist, Dr. Robert
Marblestone, which stated that electroshock would
harm Paul's ability to adequately defend himself
during his upcoming hearing.
ADAM SZYSZKO ALSO FIGHTING
FORCED ELECTROSHOCK
Meanwhile, 25-year-old Adam
Szyszko is also struggling
to resist his forced electroshock at Pilgrim.
Adam's sister, Anna, said his spirits are stronger,
he wants to get out of Pilgrim, and he is more
active in his resistance. In Adam's case, the Temporary
Restraining Order -- agreed to by four judges
-- is sticking. Adam's hearing is scheduled for
March 29, 2001, slated for 10 am though it may be
later. It's at Brooklyn's Appellate Division 2nd Dept.,
at 45 Monroe Pl., Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Updated links from the Paul
Campaign site -- http://www.Mindfreedom.org
ASK NEW YORK ELECTED OFFICIALS
TO STOP FORCED ELECTROSHOCK
-- HELP FROM ANYWHERE, BUT
ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN NY STATE!
http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/reach_ny.shtml
"LIVE" COVERAGE OF
FIRST DAY OF HEARING ABOUT PAUL'S
FORCED ELECTROSHOCK, March 2, 2001
http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/news/010302.shtml
_NEW YORK POST_ SLAMS FORCED
SHOCK IN PILGRIM:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/paul_post.shtml
RETIRED OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH
PSYCHIATRIST ATTENDS FIRST
DAY OF PAUL'S HEARING, AND CONDEMNS
OMH USE OF FORCED ELECTROSHOCK
http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/paul_f.shtml
PUBLIC STATEMENT BY PAUL'S
EXPERT WITNESS PSYCHIATRIST
RON LEIFER:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/paul_leifer.shtml
NY Office of Mental Health
"Mental Health Professional" Anonymously
Blows Whistle on Pattern of Forcd Electroshock
http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/news/010223_b.shtml
PILGRIM HAS A LONG HISTORY OF
PSYCHIATRIC
VIOLATIONS, FORCED LOBOTOMY, ELECTROSHOCK
http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/paul_e.shtml
ACTION: BUILD STRENGTH IN
NUMBERS....
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