Reminder: 2011 NYC AHT/SBS Conference

Reminder that the Queen's District Attorney's Office is sponsoring a conference on Abusive Head Trauma/Shaken Baby Syndrome in New York City next week. 

It's hosted at the Medical Examiner's office in Manhattan on September 22 and 23.

ADAs Marjy Fisher and Leigh Bishop put together a very interesting program on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

The Thursday program is good, especially if you want a refresher on diagnosis and treatment, but it's the morning panel on Friday that should be really interesting...it includes Emily Bazelon, who wrote the NY Times magazine cover story on SBS earlier this year, and two defense doctors who appeared in that article.

Agenda

Science Daily reports on research that found, for high risk individuals, the greatest deterrent to driving while intoxicated is the perception - not the actual likelihood - of getting caught...

"Essentially, law enforcement needs to focus on perceptions; it is important that drivers perceive that they will be caught if they drive impaired," said Lilliard Richardson, professor in the MU Truman School of Public Affairs. "We found that high-risk drivers are less likely to drink and drive if they perceive they are likely to be stopped or arrested by police. However, the mere existence of laws designed to discourage people from drinking and driving does not impact high-risk drivers. The results provide support for the value of high-visibility enforcement campaigns. Public safety education and media efforts are important components of the overall strategy for reducing impaired driving."

This suggests the importance of education and awareness efforts that target the higher-risk groups with information about the investigation and prosecution of those who inflict injuries.