ELLSWORTH, Wis. – A nurse pleaded not guilty to a charge of cutting off a dying patient’s foot without a physician’s oversight or permission. After entering the plea, Mary K. Brown, 38, of Durand, was bound over for trial by Pierce County Judge Elizabeth Rohl. Brown has been out on a $150,000 bail since December. In the meantime, Brown is barred from work in any capacity as a caregiver. The amputation was at a Spring Valley nursing home. The amputation was discovered at a funeral home when the coroner found the foot of the man was not attached to his body but lying beside him.
Media ban?
Brown has asked Judge Elizabeth Rohl to bar courtroom news coverage of the grisly case. There has been international interest.