Authorities arrested Dani Marie Schofield nearly a year ago, charging the former Rogue Valley nurse with 44 counts of second-degree assault. She is accused of swapping patients' liquid fentanyl with non-sterile tap water, allegedly causing infections in dozens of alleged victims.
After five delays requested by the defense, the case's first pre-trial hearing took place Wednesday in Medford.
Schofield's attorney told the court that preparing for the trial requires an immense amount of time and resources, including coordination with a long list of expert witnesses.
Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jeremy Markiewicz called for the prosecution and defense to return in late August for a status update and to begin discussing potential trial dates. The judge said the trial could last up to two months.
Schofield also faces 11 civil lawsuits seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in potential damages. Judges have paused many of those cases as the criminal case unfolds.
David Linthorst, an attorney representing plaintiffs in civil complaints against Schofield and the hospital, said he wasn’t surprised by the pace of criminal case proceedings. But he is challenging the pause in the civil cases.
“Our clients need to be heard on this, and there's plenty that we can be doing right now as far as discovery,” Linthorst said.
Marco Boccato, another attorney representing clients in civil suits, attended the pre-trial hearing.
“I think the public is disappointed that it's going to take at least another year before this case goes to trial,” Boccato said. "Frankly, we don't want to be sitting on our hands for the next year doing nothing. We'd like to do something to help move these cases forward.”
District Attorney Patrick Green called the criminal case against Schofield the “largest, most complex case” ever prosecuted in Jackson County.
Authorities said 16 of the 44 patients allegedly harmed by Schofield died.
She is currently out on $4 million bail.
