STUART — Testimony Wednesday from the Martin Memorial Medical Center nurse who in 2003 accompanied illegal immigrant Louis Jimenez to a medical facility in Guatemala wrapped up a nearly three-week trial as attorneys representing the Stuart hospital rested their case.

Closing arguments are expected to begin at 9 a.m. Thursday.

Jurors in the false imprisonment case listened to nurse Diana Gregory describe the steps she and other Martin Memorial staff took to arrange an international transfer for the severely brain-damaged Jimenez after he’d lived at the hospital for nearly three years, running up $1.5 million in unpaid medical care.

Gregory described photos showing Jimenez as she escorted him July 10, 2003, onto an air ambulance to Guatemala City, then to an orthopedic rehabilitation center that had agreed to accept him as a patient.

She told jurors during the flight, Jimenez — who has the cognitive abilities of a young child — received snacks, drinks, read magazines and had fun looking out the window.

“At any point did he … express that he was upset or sad or frightened in any way?” hospital attorney Scott Michaud asked.

“No sir,” Gregory replied, “The plane ride was a great adventure.”

She noted that at the rehab center, Jimenez busied himself talking to those around him, showing off his toy cat.

After his repatriation, Jimenez and his Indiantown guardian sued Martin Memorial, claiming that by sending him to Guatemala, the hospital falsely imprisoned him despite a court order permitting the transfer.

Jimenez’s attorneys at trial have argued the hospital’s actions were unreasonable and unwarranted, in part because during a 2003 guardianship hearing, evidence was presented showing Guatemala lacked the facilities to treat his traumatic brain injury, and that a state probate judge lacked the jurisdiction to order him extradited to a foreign country.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/jul/22/nurse-describes-trip-to-guatemala-with-brain/

Caroloft… stop answering something that causes you hardship.This a question and answer not a complaint board