Judge's ruling reversed because of ties to hospital

February 28, 2011

Tennessee: On Tuesday, February 22, the Tennessee Court of Appeals ordered Judge Barbara N. Haynes, of the Davidson County Circuit Court, to step down from a case involving the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital. The case involved Annette Olerud suing a pediatric surgeon at the hospital for malpractice that resulted in her daughter, Rachel Olerud's, death. Judge Haynes had dismissed the lawsuit in 2010 and, after finding out that Haynes is a voting member and former chairwoman of the hospital's board of directors, the family of Rachel filed a request for the judge to reverse her dismissal and step down from the case. After Haynes refused the request the family appealed to a higher court. In the order that Haynes be removed from the case, the Court of Appeals also reversed her dismissal of the lawsuit and demands that a new judge be assigned by the Davidson County Circuit Court. Olerud has also filed a complaint with the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary over Judge Haynes conduct.

External links

• The Tennessean "Nashville judge's Vanderbilt malpractice ruling reversed for appearance of bias," February 23, 2011
• Associated Press "Tenn. Court of Appeals tells Nashville judge to recuse herself from malpractice case," February 2, 2011</ref>