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Hsiu-Ying (“Lisa”) Tseng, a medical doctor from Rowland Heights, was convicted this past week of second-degree murder for the death of three of her patients. Tseng is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14.
In what has been reported as the first case of its kind in California, Tseng was charged with and convicted of murder for patients under her care. All three of the victims were under 30 years old.
The prosecution argued that Tseng recklessly prescribed unreasonably high levels of opiates to these three patients, even after learning that some of them had previously overdosed on those same prescriptions.
The prosecution also contended that Tseng intentionally covered up her wrongdoing by altering or omitting medical information in the patients’ files and charts.
On the other hand, the defense argued that while Tseng could have been a better doctor, she was by no means guilty of murder. Tseng, the defense asserted, was simply too trusting of her patients and their self-reporting about their medical needs.
Beyond the three counts of second-degree murder, Tseng was also convicted of 19 counts of unlawful prescription of a controlled substance and one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.
For these convictions, Tseng could be sentenced to life in prison.
If you or someone you know is being investigated or has been charged with a crime, it is important to speak with a criminal defense attorney as early in the process as possible to ensure protection of constitutional rights.
Ronald G. Brower is a criminal defense attorney in Orange County with over three decades of experience.
Attorney Brower has represented individuals charged with a range of crimes, including the most serious – murder.
Contact the Law Office of Ronald G. Brower at 714-997-4400.