California doctor convicted of murder charges in overdose of patients
Source: Los Angeles Times
A Rowland Heights doctor was convicted of second-degree murder Friday in connection with the overdose deaths of three patients, capping a landmark case that was closely watched by medical and legal professionals across the country.
Dr. Hsiu-Ying Lisa Tseng, who prosecutors say is the first doctor convicted of murder in the United States for recklessly prescribing drugs to patients, was accused of ignoring red flags about her prescribing habits, including the overdose of a patient in her clinic and nine phone calls in less than three years from authorities informing her that patients had died with drugs in their system.
As the jury's decision was read, Tseng cocked her head and listened, showing no emotion.
The message this case sends is you can't hide behind a white lab coat and commit crimes, Deputy Dist. Atty. John Niedermann said afterward. A lab coat and stethoscope are no shield.
April Rovero, whose son, Joey, died nearly six years ago after mixing alcohol with Xanax and oxycodone he had obtained from Tseng, said she believes the verdict will resonate throughout the country.
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Read more: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-doctor-prescription-drugs-murder-overdose-verdict-20151030-story.html
By Marisa Gerber, Lisa Girion and James Queally
OCTOBER 30, 2015, 3:46 PM