Doctor Attends Virtual Traffic Trial While Performing Surgery

A doctor in California attended a virtual traffic trial via Zoom while performing surgery. Watch here:

Plastic surgeon Scott Green appeared before Sacramento Superior Court Commissioner Gary Link's virtual courtroom at Carol Miller Justice Center on Thursday (25 February) - but Link was clearly unimpressed by what he saw.

Green could be seen in full scrubs, attending from the operating theatre.

A clerk asked: "Hello, Mr. Green? Are you available for trial? It kind of looks like you're in an operating room right now?"

Green replied: "I am, sir. Yes, I'm in an operating room right now. I'm available for trial. Go right ahead."

Aware the traffic trial was being live-streamed, Green continued to attend to his work as devices in the operating room beeped and whirred.

Link asked: "So unless I'm mistaken, I'm seeing a defendant that's in the middle of an operating room appearing to be actively engaged in providing services to a patient.

"Is that correct, Mr. Green? Or should I say Dr. Green?

"I do not feel comfortable for the welfare of a patient if you're in the process of operating that I would put on a trial notwithstanding the fact the officer is here today."

Sacramento Superior Court

But Green assured the court he was available for trial.

He said: "I have another surgeon right here who's doing the surgery with me, so I can stand here and allow them to do the surgery also."

Link disagreed with this judgement though.

He replied: "I don't think so. I don't think that's appropriate.

"I'm going to come up with a different date - when you're not actively involved or participating and attending to the needs of a patient. Let me see if I can get a different date here."

Dr Green replied: "I apologise, Your Honor, to the court. Sometimes, surgery doesn't always go as-"

Link interrupted: "It happens. We want to keep people healthy, we want to keep them alive. That's important.

"I'm concerned about the welfare of the patient based on what I'm seeing."

According to The Sacramento Bee, The Medical Board of California said in a statement on Friday (26 February) it would look into the incident, stating that it 'expects physicians to follow the standard of care when treating their patients'.

Topics: US News, crime, Weird

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey