Awesome - Doctor's Unusual Past Comes Out In Court After Saving A Juror's Life
To his patients, James Lilja appeared like a run-of-the-mill doctor. But before he ever put on a white coat, he lived a much different life. As a founding member and drummer of the punk band The Offspring, he could have hit it big. Then he gave it up for medicine, having no idea he'd re-enter the spotlight, this time, as a courtroom defendant thrust into an unusual position.
Punk Rock Past
The Offspring are known for punchy hits like “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)” and "Why Don't You Get A Job?" but those songs, and their rise to the spotlight, came in the '90s after Lilja left. He had an earlier role in their timeline, at the band's formation.
Walked Away
Lilja played on their debut single “I’ll Be Waiting” and co-wrote the song “Beheaded." But, after three years with the band, Lilja still had other dreams left to accomplish. He hadn't intended on pursuing music as a career, and he wasn't going to get sidetracked. So in 1987, he walked away.
Pursued His Dreams
Lilja gave up the crowded punk venues for medical textbooks, as lead vocalist Dexter Holland wrote in a 2007 blog post, “He was so intent on getting into medical school that he didn’t really even practice with us much — which is part of why he’s not our drummer anymore!”
Doctor Identity
Lilja earned a degree in microbiology from UCLA, then went onto the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He left school as a fully certified gynecological oncologist and settled in the Bay Area of San Francisco. Lilja opened his own practice treating pre-cancerous conditions and cancer, a far cry from his days of thrashing fans and hectic drums, though he didn't yet know he'd return to the spotlight.
Wild Days Aren't Over
While Lilja has reminders of his punk past, like an occasional autograph or the drumsticks stuck on his bulletin board, he might've thought his wildest tales were behind him. But, Lilja was on the heels of a dramatic shift. In 2018, Lilja was the subject of a lawsuit that changed his career forever — and he also played a major role in a life-defining incident.
Lawsuit
In October 2016, a patient named Stephanie Sargiotto and her husband filed a five-page complaint against Lilja. The details of the case are not publically known, but the Sargiottos alleged Doctor Lilja was negligent in the treatment he provided. Two years later, they were set to hash it out in front of a judge and jury.
Day In Court
So in March of 2018, the Sargiottos and their attorney brought their malpractice case to Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland, California. Doctor Lilja and his lawyer Barry C. Marsh were prepared for their first day of jury selection, where they probably had to weed out any fans of The Offspring. Before they could screen all the jurors, things went off the rails.
Outside The Courtroom
It was day two of jury selection when things went haywire. A group of thirty-plus people waited outside the courtroom, ready to see if they’d be among those chosen to participate in the trial. It’s a naturally nervy situation, but for one individual, events took a frightening turn.
Hard Fall
One man among the prospective jurors faced a medical emergency. He suddenly collapsed, and in the process, hit his head. Within seconds, he was lying unresponsive on the floor. Everyone around began to realize what was happening, while time ticked away for the man unconscious on the ground.
Jump To Action
The crowd of bystanders immediately took action. Someone dialed 911 while another person ran into the courtroom to alert them to the medical emergency. Pretty quickly, eyes fell to the only doctor present, but he just so happened to be the guy on trial.
Doctor Defendant
Lilja and his nurse assistant didn’t hesitate. They rushed outside the courtroom to assess the man's vitals. He wasn't breathing and had no pulse. So, they moved right to CPR. Everyone watched as the defendant worked in rhythm with the nurse, compressing the man's chest to keep him alive.
Two Shocks
People watched with shock and concern as Lilja and the nurse worked on the unconscious man. Luckily, there was a defibrillator on-site that someone quickly produced. The defendant moved right to applying the pads to the man's chest and cleared the area. Then, Lilja administered two shocks to kickstart his heart.
Complicated Miracle
Low and behold, his heartbeat returned. Paramedics arrived on the scene to transport the man to the hospital. In the aftermath, the courtroom mood was electric. There was no other way to put it: the defendant has just saved a man's life. As you might imagine, that opened up a judicial can of worms.
Looked Like A Hero
In the wildest of circumstances, Lilja performed one of the most heroic acts imaginable that could potentially sway a jury. Not to mention, he looked like a real pro. At a minimum, it gave him a morale boost in the eyes of the court. At a maximum, things looked bad for the prosecution.
Demand A Mistrial
The image of the defendant swooping in as a savior was a crushing blow to the Sargiottos case. Even without the visual, just looking at the facts — a former punk drummer, turned gynecological oncologist, who went on to save a man's life — Lilja has a tough resume to discredit. Their attorney demanded a mistrial.
Judge Agrees
Much to the chagrin of Lilja and his lawyer, Judge Ronni MacLaren agreed that the display of heroics had made the bias in that pool of jurors "incurable." A mistrial was granted. Still, the defendant would eventually have to face the music, and he wasn't thrilled about it.
Lilja Reacts
In response to the judge's ruling, Lilja spoke his opinion allowed, “No good deed goes unpunished.” Though, any other outcome wouldn't technically fall under the category of justice. Dismissing the Sargiottos case against Lilja just because he saved a life would be an unethical, controversial, but pretty punk rock ruling. Sadly for him, Judge MacLaren wasn't known for making unusual calls.
New Trial
The Judge set another trial for Lilja where a new crop of jurors heard his case without being tainted by heroics. If his case had landed in a different court, "creative justice" might've been granted. Instead of fines or losing licensing, some judges dole out punishments that stretch the definition of legal.
Creative Sentencing
It isn't outside the realm of possibility for Ohio Judge Michael Cicconetti to consider life-threatening sentences — it just depends on what the charge is. In the case of Doctor Lilja, if Cicconetti saw the defendant shocking a man's heart back to life, he would call it fair and square.
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