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Reckless homicide trial for ex-nurse's medication error goes to jury

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
Mark Humphrey
/
The Florida Channel
RaDonda Vaught arrives for a court hearing Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Vaught was charged with reckless homicide for accidentally administering the paralyzing drug vecuronium to 75-year-old Charlene Murphey instead of the sedative Versed in December on Dec. 26, 2017. Vaught admitted the error as soon as she realized it, and the state medical board initially took no action against her. Prosecutors say Vaught made multiple errors that day and “recklessly ignored” her training.

In closing statements, RaDonda Vaught’s attorney argued that prosecutors had not proven the injection was the cause of Charlene Murphey's death.

The fate of a former Tennessee nurse whose patient died after she was accidentally injected with a paralyzing drug is in the hands of the jury.

RaDonda Vaught is charged with reckless homicide for administering vecuronium to 75-year-old Charlene Murphey instead of the sedative Versed on Dec. 26, 2017.

Prosecutors argue that Vaught disregarded the standard of care expected of nurses as well as her own training when she made multiple errors leading to the wrong injection.

In closing statements, Vaught’s attorney argued that prosecutors had not proven the injection was the cause of Murphey's death.

Click here for more of this story from the Associated Press.