|
"In most cases, it is presented to the DA's office to make a decision," sheriff's Lt. Margarito Robles said. Defense attorney Steve Meister, who has represented people who have been involved in crashes while having seizures, said: "It's difficult to assign criminal liability when someone was medically unconscious. They have to be aware what was happening." The episode is consistent with someone who has suffered a series of epileptic seizures, said Dr. Jerome Engel Jr., a neurologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who is not involved in Bryson's care. After a seizure, a person is often confused, and that state of confusion can last for a while. "You may even seem to be alert and awake, but you're not really behaving normally," Engel said. Under California law, a doctor has to report a patient who complains of lapses of consciousness or whose epileptic seizures pose an impairment to driving. In those cases, a person can't drive unless he's been seizure-free for three months. Bryson had been in California to deliver the commencement address Thursday at Pasadena Polytechnic School, which his four children attended. The K-12 school said he urged students to pursue their passions, to serve their country and to value their education and friendships. Bryson was sworn in to lead the Commerce Department in October after easily overcoming conservatives' objections that his pro-environmental views made him unsuited for the job. As secretary, Bryson is a member of the president's economic team and has advised on energy issues. He is the former head of Edison International, the holding company that owns Southern California Edison, and has served on boards of major corporations, including the Boeing Co. and the Walt Disney Co. He helped oversee Edison's transformation into a leading wind and solar company and launched a plan to turn 65 million square feet of unused commercial rooftops into solar power stations with enough electricity for more than 160,000 homes.
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching & Learning | Home and Family | Tourism | Obituaries
Community |
Perspectives
|
Law & Courts |
Leisure Time
|
Spiritual Life |
Health & Fitness |
Teen Scene
Calendar
|
Letters to the Editor