As the Utah Legislature on Wednesday considered clarifying when police can draw blood from a suspect, an attorney urged more protection for medical staff like the nurse arrested earlier this year at University Hospital.
“Overall, I think the bill is helpful and will make it easier for law enforcement to train,” attorney Karra Porter said at a Judiciary Interim Committee meeting on Wednesday.
But, she said, there’s an issue of immunity for medical staff who refuse to participate with a blood draw if the individual hasn’t given consent but has gotten a warrant.
Porter represented University of Utah nurse Alex Wubbels after she was arrested on July 26 for refusing to let Salt Lake City police Detective Jeff Payne get a blood sample from an unconscious patient.