---

Daily Herald, USA
Apr. 7, 2006
Tona Kunz
www.dailyherald.com

---

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 14253 • Posted: Saturday April 8, 2006  

---

Therapists keep their own records of patient sessions.

That provides a level of privacy for the client.

But that privacy also creates a hurdle for clients who feel they have been abused and seek justice in civil court.

The problem is state law requires a medical expert to sign off on malpractice lawsuits as a tool for ensuring courts aren’t flooded with frivolous claims.

The expert uses medical records to make that judgment. When the wrong limb is amputated, the decision is apparent, but when it becomes a he said/she said case, things get fuzzier.

Two former patients of Letitia Libman, a former psychiatrist with Delnor-Community Hospital, jumped that hurdle on the second try with a court ruling Thursday.

Kane County Judge F. Keith Brown ruled even though there are no separate medical records backing up the allegations by Kenneth Sutter and Deanna Whetstine, he would allow their cases to go forward.

He accepted a medical expert’s opinion the lawsuits are meritorious because although the medical records show no wrongdoing, if the allegations are true, a malpractice would have occurred. Brown had previously ruled the lawsuits didn’t pass the expert test.

However, Brown still hasn’t guaranteed the lawsuits won’t be dismissed.

He ruled the cases won’t go any further if the patients can’t prove Libman’s therapy caused the failed marriages, emotional instability and, in one case, an attempted suicide, alleged in the lawsuits.

“I am sure I will be able to provide what he wants,” said Richard Stavins, who represents four former patients in four separate lawsuits.

Libman has contended she tried to help the patients and any problems they encountered likely were caused by their disorders. Most were being treated for depression and anxiety.

The four lawsuits spell out allegations that fall into two categories: witchcraft and sexual misconduct. The improprieties are said to have occurred in Libman’s St. Charles home and on the Delnor health care campus off Route 25 in St. Charles between 2001 and January 2005.

Libman and Delnor have denied any wrongdoing.

---

What You Can Do From Here

---

Read More Articles On These Topics Categories: Witchcraft Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article Subscribe Religion News Blog RSS feed [What is this?] RSS by topic: Witchcraft Read Another Article Previous entry: Judge backs Freemasons’ role Next entry: Phelps and family say they’ll picket veterans hospitals RNB Homepage with latest headlines Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults Find Related Books Witchcraft Most Popular Today NewsChannel 10 allowed inside self proclaimed messiah’s compound Wanda Barzee pleads guilty to charge in Elizabeth Smart case Judge cancels hearing in case against Warren Jeffs Atheists ‘just as ethical as churchgoers’ research shows

---

Share This Article

---

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:

• Post a link on your blog or website:
  
• Send in an email or IM:
  
• Post on a forum:
  

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.