P. v. Gutierrez
Victim was stabbed multiple times outside a Riverside bar. When he was treated for his wounds, a nurse negligently administered an excessive amount of Heparin, a blood thinning agent. Owens subsequently bled to death. A jury convicted defendant of second-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon plus related knife-use and street-gang enhancements. The court sentenced defendant to a total collective prison sentence of 25 years to life.
On appeal, defendant contends the medical error was a superseding cause of victim’s death, which absolved defendant of criminal culpability. Court held the medical error was a contributing cause but not the sole cause of victim’s death. Court rejected defendant’s arguments and affirmed the judgment.
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