A jury in Andrews, Texas acquitted nurse Anne Mitchell after she had been charged with "misuse of official information" and harassment after filing a complaint about a physician at Winkler County Hospital. Mitchell reported Dr. Rolando Arafiles to the Texas Medical Board after he had performed surgical procedures without privileges and had tried to prescribe patients an herbal supplement that he was selling.
The prosecution argued that Mitchell's report to the state medical board was motivated by personal intentions. The jury ultimately acquitted Mitchell of all charges, saying that she acted in the interests of the patients.
The verdict has been applauded by nursing groups and medical quality groups who feel that a different decision might have discouraged others from reporting improper behavior among medical professionals.
To read the full article on the decision, click here:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/11/us/AP-US-Texas-Nurse-Acquitted.html.
Source: The New York Times
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