To the Editor:

F. Lee Bailey, in the New York Times, 20 September 1970, said essentially that those who think the information brought out at a trial is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth are uninformed and mistaken.

Prosecuting or defending a case is nothing more than getting to those people who will talk for your side, who will say what you want said.

Therein lies the rub.

One can only assume from reading the ROANOKE-CHOWAN NEWS HERALD’S account of the outcome of the jury trial in a recent Hertford County medical malpractice case that the jury was charged with answering certain questions.

Certain evidence had been presented upon which the jury was to answer these questions.

To characterize the questions answered as to whether or not the physician was acting as God or was violating the patient’s rights is, surely, deceptive mischaracterization.

The physician was presented with a patient with a certain history and physical findings. He acted on this information and, sadly, an adverse and unexpected outcome resulted.

The reason for this was not answered by the jury decision.

Neither was the reasoning, character, motivation, nor the grave sense of responsibility on the part of the physician appropriately addressed or recognized.

Julian R. Taylor, MD

Ahoskie