Judge sets October 2013 trial date for Dr. Desai, two nurses
Dr. Dipak Desai and two nurse anesthetists won't stand trial in the death of Rodolfo Meana, a victim of the hepatitis C outbreak, for more than a year.
At a brief hearing Wednesday, District Judge Stefany Miley set an Oct. 28, 2013, trial date in the high-profile case.
Desai, 62, and the two nurses, Keith Mathahs, 76, and Ronald Lakeman, 65, are charged with second-degree murder.
The three defendants, who are free on bail, also face an upcoming Oct. 22 trial before District Judge Valerie Adair on other criminal charges, including racketeering and patient neglect, stemming from the 2007 outbreak.
But defense lawyers are pushing to continue the trial and consolidate the two cases.
Michael Cristalli, who represents Mathahs, filed court papers this week arguing the defense needs more time to investigate the circumstances surrounding Meana's death.
The murder indictment accuses Desai and company of unlawfully "introducing the hepatitis C virus" into Meana's body while he underwent a colonoscopy in 2007.
Meana, 77, died in April of complications from hepatitis C in his native Philippines. His infection was among seven that health officials genetically linked to Desai's main clinic, the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Officials have said dozens more cases were "possibly linked" to the clinic.
Meana and five other patients contracted hepatitis C through unsafe injection practices Sept. 21, 2007, health officials concluded. Another patient was infected July 25, 2007.
Desai, a gastroenterologist who has since given up his medical license, performed Meana's colonoscopy and some of the medical procedures linked to infections at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada.
Mathahs and Lakeman administered the sedative propofol to the infected patients under the questionable injection practices, prosecutors have alleged.
Desai also is to stand trial in federal court Nov. 20 on conspiracy and health care fraud charges tied to the hepatitis outbreak.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135.
