Transplant doctor to stand trial
A San Francisco transplant surgeon accused of hastening the death of a man so his organs could be harvested has been ordered to stand trial on one count of felony dependent adult abuse, but two other felony charges involving administration of drugs to the dying man were dismissed.
The criminal case against Dr. Hootan Roozrokh is the first such action against a transplant doctor in the U.S.
After a preliminary hearing in San Luis Obispo County, Superior Court Judge Martin J. Tangeman issued a ruling Wednesday describing an uncoordinated scene surrounding the 2006 death of Ruben Navarro at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center, which had never handled a “donation after cardiac death” case.
Navarro, 26, had a debilitating neurological disease and was in a coma when he was admitted to the hospital after a heart attack.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
