[Med-privacy] Fwd: Cops covertly acquired tissue of BTK suspect's relative -- from medical lab
Peter Marshall
pwm@comcast.net
Thu, 3 Mar 2005 12:34:17 -0800
--Apple-Mail-232-578355491
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset=US-ASCII;
format=flowed
Subject: [Politech] Cops covertly acquired tissue of BTK suspect's
relative -- from medical lab
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Investigators covertly acquired actual tissue of BTK suspect's
relative - from medical lab
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 00:23:19 -0500
From: Ethan Ackerman <eackerma@u.washington.edu>
Reply-To: <eackerma@u.washington.edu>
To: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
In developments straight out of GATTACA's handshake scene, A Kansas City
Star report indicates that the suspected "BTK" killer was tentatively
linked
to crime scene evidence by acquiring genetic material from the suspect's
daughter's medical records - the tissue samples being taken without her
knowledge.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/11035826.htm
The article goes on to give a brief but factually accurate explanation
of
how a request for "medical records" is entirely within the framework of
the
federal medical privacy laws (HIPAA), and also gives a likely source of
the
tissue - a routine pap smear. The article suggests that a judge
issued a
secret order for the records, though the article does not state if it
was a
formal 4th Amendment "probable cause" warrant, or some lesser standard
subpoena, or even go into whether the police were required to acquire an
order under HIPAA (there are circumstances where agents can just the
recordholder.)
BUT the article also doesn't raise the fact that what was apparently
requested was NOT "health information" - what HIPAA protects - but
_actual
tissue_ from the suspect's daughter's file samples.
I'm operating on a few words from one article here, so the facts aren't
definitive, but this seems quite an interesting breach of privacy
expectations, independent of how it may legally turn out.
On one hand, court-compelled physical examinations have been ruled
Constitutionally sound (thus, you can be compelled to give a tissue
sample,
or even forcibly sampled.)
On the other hand, how many American women even know labs keep pap smear
samples, much less would think it reasonable that their pap smears
would one
day be turned over to police to tentatively connect their sons or
daughters
to crimes?
--Apple-Mail-232-578355491
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Type: text/enriched;
charset=US-ASCII
<fontfamily><param>Helvetica</param>
<bold><color><param>0000,0000,0000</param>Subject: </color>[Politech]
Cops covertly acquired tissue of BTK suspect's relative -- from
medical lab </bold></fontfamily>
-------- <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>Original</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>Message</fontfamily> --------
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>Subject</fontfamily>:
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>Investigators</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>covertly</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>acquired</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>actual</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>tissue</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>of</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>BTK</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>suspect</fontfamily>'<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>s
relative</fontfamily> -
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>from</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>medical</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>lab
Date</fontfamily>:
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>Thu</fontfamily>, 3
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>Mar</fontfamily> 2005 00:23:19
-0500
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>From</fontfamily>:
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>Ethan</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>Ackerman</fontfamily>
<<<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>eackerma@u</fontfamily>.<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>washington</fontfamily>.<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>edu</fontfamily>>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>Reply</fontfamily>-<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>To</fontfamily>:
<<<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>eackerma@u</fontfamily>.<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>washington</fontfamily>.<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>edu</fontfamily>>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>To</fontfamily>:
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>Declan</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>McCullagh</fontfamily>
<<<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>declan@well</fontfamily>.<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>com</fontfamily>>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>In</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>developments</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>straight</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>out</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>of</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>GATTACA</fontfamily>'<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>s</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>handshake</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>scene</fontfamily>,
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>A</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>Kansas</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>City
Star</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>report</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>indicates</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>that</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>suspected</fontfamily>
"<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>BTK</fontfamily>"
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>killer</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>was</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>tentatively</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>linked
to</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>crime</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>scene</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>evidence</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>by</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>acquiring</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>genetic</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>material</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>from</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>suspect</fontfamily>'<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>s
daughter</fontfamily>'<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>s</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>medical</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>records</fontfamily> -
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>tissue</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>samples</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>being</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>taken</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>without</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>her
knowledge</fontfamily>.
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>http</fontfamily>://<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>www</fontfamily>.<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>kansascity</fontfamily>.<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>com</fontfamily>/<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>mld</fontfamily>/<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>kansascity</fontfamily>/<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>news</fontfamily>/<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>nation</fontfamily>/11035826.<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>htm
The</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>article</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>goes</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>on</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>to</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>give</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>a</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>brief</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>but</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>factually</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>accurate</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>explanation</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>of
how</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>a</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>request</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>for</fontfamily>
"<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>medical</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>records</fontfamily>"
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>is</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>entirely</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>within</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>framework</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>of</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the
federal</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>medical</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>privacy</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>laws</fontfamily>
(<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>HIPAA</fontfamily>),
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>and</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>also</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>gives</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>a</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>likely</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>source</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>of</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the
tissue</fontfamily> -
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>a</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>routine</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>pap</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>smear</fontfamily>.
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>The</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>article</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>suggests</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>that</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>a</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>judge</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>issued</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>a
secret</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>order</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>for</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>records</fontfamily>,
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>though</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>article</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>does</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>not</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>state</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>if</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>it</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>was</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>a
formal</fontfamily>
4<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>th</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>Amendment</fontfamily>
"<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>probable</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>cause</fontfamily>"
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>warrant</fontfamily>,
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>or</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>some</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>lesser</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>standard
subpoena</fontfamily>,
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>or</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>even</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>go</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>into</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>whether</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>police</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>were</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>required</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>to</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>acquire</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>an
order</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>under</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>HIPAA</fontfamily>
(<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>there</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>are</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>circumstances</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>where</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>agents</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>can</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>just</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the
recordholder</fontfamily>.)
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>BUT</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>article</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>also</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>doesn</fontfamily>'<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>t</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>raise</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>fact</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>that</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>what</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>was</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>apparently
requested</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>was</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>NOT</fontfamily>
"<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>health</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>information</fontfamily>" -
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>what</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>HIPAA</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>protects</fontfamily> -
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>but</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>_actual
tissue_</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>from</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>suspect</fontfamily>'<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>s</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>daughter</fontfamily>'<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>s</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>file</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>samples</fontfamily>.
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>I</fontfamily>'<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>m</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>operating</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>on</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>a</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>few</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>words</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>from</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>one</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>article</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>here</fontfamily>,
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>so</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>facts</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>aren</fontfamily>'<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>t
definitive</fontfamily>,
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>but</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>this</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>seems</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>quite</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>an</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>interesting</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>breach</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>of</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>privacy
expectations</fontfamily>,
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>independent</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>of</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>how</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>it</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>may</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>legally</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>turn</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>out</fontfamily>.
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>On</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>one</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>hand</fontfamily>,
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>court</fontfamily>-<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>compelled</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>physical</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>examinations</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>have</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>been</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>ruled
Constitutionally</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>sound</fontfamily>
(<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>thus</fontfamily>,
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>you</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>can</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>be</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>compelled</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>to</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>give</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>a</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>tissue</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>sample</fontfamily>,
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>or</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>even</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>forcibly</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>sampled</fontfamily>.)
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>On</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>the</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>other</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>hand</fontfamily>,
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>how</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>many</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>American</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>women</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>even</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>know</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>labs</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>keep</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>pap</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>smear
samples</fontfamily>,
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>much</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>less</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>would</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>think</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>it</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>reasonable</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>that</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>their</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>pap</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>smears</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>would</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>one
day</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>be</fontfamily> <fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>turned</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>over</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>to</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>police</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>to</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>tentatively</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>connect</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>their</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>sons</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>or</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>daughters
to</fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Lucida Grande</param>crimes</fontfamily>?
--Apple-Mail-232-578355491--