"At trial, Arias' attorney presented a twofold defense. He argued on the one hand that the shooting was self-defense, and said in court records another man had been seen with a gun at the party. The defense also attacked the official cause of death that Henriquez-Martinez died from a gunshot wound, arguing instead that it was medical negligence, based on a paramedic's decision to inject Henriquez-Martinez with midazolam, a sedative commonly known as Versed, shortly after he'd been shot."
"While jury deliberations are closed to the public, there is evidence that jurors strongly considered this argument; shortly before reaching the verdict, the jury sent a note to Judge Scott Patton asking if grossly improper medical treatment had a specific legal definition. Patton responded by telling jurors to interpret the term in a common sense logical manner. The jury returned its not guilty verdicts the following day"
An Alameda County jury acquitted Jason Arias of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the July 20, 2020 killing of Jesus Henriquez-Martinez, despite testimony that Arias shot Henriquez-Martinez in the back and told someone, the devil made me do it. Jurors convicted Arias only of possessing a concealed handgun in public and sentenced him to 16 months, already served awaiting resolution. The defense argued self-defense and challenged the official cause of death, asserting that a paramedic's injection of midazolam (Versed) during efforts to insert an IV constituted grossly improper medical treatment that caused the death. Jurors asked the judge about the legal meaning of grossly improper medical treatment before returning not guilty verdicts.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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