California Surgeon Logs Into Remote Traffic Court Mid-Operation

A California doctor attempted to multitask by operating on a patient while taking part in a traffic court proceeding over Zoom. It didn't work out.

March 1, 2021

Operating room — Image via Getty/MOAimage
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A Sacramento plastic surgeon is under fire after logging into Zoom traffic court while simultaneously conducting an operation, representing the latest instance of some COVID-19-induced court proceedings being weird enough to generate national headlines. (The champion of this genre is still that Texas lawyer who couldn’t turn off the cat filter.)

According to NBC News, Dr. Scott Green hopped into the virtual courtroom on Thursday. You can see in the video below that he did so while sporting scrubs and a surgical mask in an operating room. The courtroom clerk was reportedly hesitant to conduct the proceedings, but Green said it was okay.

“Mr. Green. Hi. Are you available for trial? It kind of looks like you’re in an operating room right now,” says the clerk in footage caught by the Sacramento Bee.

“I am, sir. I’m in an operating room. Yes, I’m available for trial. Go right ahead,” he says in response.

While waiting on the arrival of Sacramento Superior Court Commissioner Gary Link, Green looks like he goes back in to operate while a nurse holds his camera/phone.

Link, who appears both perplexed and annoyed in the clip below, expresses concern for the patient.

“Unless I’m mistaken, I’m seeing a defendant that’s in the middle of an operating room appearing to be actively engaged in providing services to a patient,” says Link. “Is that correct, Mr. Green?”

Green responds in the affirmative, leading to Link saying the trial will be rescheduled. NBC News writes it was pushed back a week.

“We want to keep people healthy. We want to keep them alive,” Link adds. “That’s important.”

Green was contacted by NBC News to give comment on the Sacramento Bee’s report. In response he said, “That’s not accurate and I have nothing to say. Thank you.” He ended the call there.

The case has caught the attention of the Medical Board of California, which said on Saturday that it’s “aware of the incident and will be looking into it, as it does with all complaints it receives.”