Jury deliberating in Dallas doctor's IV tampering trial
Jury deliberating in doctor's IV tampering trial
The jury began deliberations at noon Thursday. Hours later, the jury finished deliberating for the day, and will continue on Friday. The judge told the jury if they were close to a unanimous decision, they could deliberate past 5 p.m. Thursday, but once 5 p.m. came around, the jury didn't reach a verdict.
DALLAS - The fate of a doctor accused of secretly putting poison into IV bags is now in the hands of a jury.
The jury began deliberations at noon Thursday. Hours later, the jury finished deliberating for the day, and will continue on Friday. The judge told the jury if they were close to a unanimous decision, they could deliberate past 5 p.m. Thursday, but once 5 p.m. came around, the jury didn't reach a verdict.
Prosecutors pointed to video evidence and testimony from victims and doctors.
Defense attorneys argued Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz is just a scapegoat.
Thursday morning was dedicated to closing arguments.
The government closed its case by telling the jury Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz turned IV bags into poison bombs that exploded on unsuspecting patients.
The 61-year-old is charged with five counts of tampering with a consumer product causing serious bodily injury and five counts of adulterating a drug.
Prosecutors did offer a motive to the jury, alleging Ortiz was a disgruntled employee seeking revenge after the Texas Medical Board opened a disciplinary investigation.
Prosecutors also argued Ortiz owed millions of dollars to the IRS.
Ortiz's defense team argues the government and investigators blamed the most convenient person instead of investigating all employees at the hospital.
Defense attorneys also say others were around Ortiz during the alleged crimes.
While the government only released one video at the time Ortiz was charged with the crimes, the jury has seen many videos of Ortiz taking IV bags out of the warmer and returning bags to the warmer at Baylor Scott & White Surgicare in North Dallas.
Video showed the next person to open the warmer unknowingly gave the IV bags to patients.
In all, there were 13 patients who experienced cardiac emergencies from May to August 2022.
But there is only surveillance video available for the month of August, so prosecutors only charged Ortiz in the four August cases.
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In one video, Ortiz is seen filling up syringes with different kinds of drugs and then putting unlabeled syringes into his pocket.
Former U.S. attorney Paul Coggins says the government case hinges on the videos.
"The government made it crystal clear they tied the counts charged with best video evidence of Dr. Ortiz handling the IV Bags," he said.
The government said one of the poison bombs exploded on Dr. Melanie Kaspar. She was an anesthesiologist who worked at Baylor Scott & White Surgicare and took one of the IV bags home to treat herself after an illness. Her husband, John Kaspar, gave emotional testimony of how he was unable to revive her with CPR before paramedics arrived.
Husband of Dallas doctor who died from alleged tainted IV bag gives emotional testimony about her death
The husband of the anesthesiologist who was killed after prosecutors say she treated herself with a tainted IV bag took the stand Wednesday in the trial of Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz.
Kaspar and family will have to wait another day to hear the fate of Ortiz.
The widower has attended court every day.
In another gripping testimony, Adlerstein shared how he had gone in for a simple procedure on his nose, and then he was placed on life-support. His doctor testified he nearly died on the operating room table.
Fortunately, as Jack’s heart rate was skyrocketing, Dr. Chad Marsden arrived. After his patient had to be rushed to the ER the week before, he had a suspicion about the IV bags. He told Adlerstein’s doctors to change the IV bag, and his condition improved.
If convicted of all 10 counts, Ortiz faces life in prison.