Transplant Organ/Donor Expert Witnesses to Testify in Organ Harvest Case

Transplant surgeon Dr. Hootan Roozrokh of San Francisco is charged with three felonies alleging he attempted to hasten the death of a potential organ donor, 25-year-old Ruben Navarro. In the San Luis Obispo trial, County prosecutor Karen Gray has yet to reveal the names of transplants – organ/donor expert witnesses she plans to call who are coming from out of town. Roozrokh’s attorney, M. Gerald Schwartzbach, threatened to ask for delays throughout the preliminary hearing because he says that without an expert witness list, he hasn’t been able to prepare the defense’s case. A delay would cause scheduling problems for Gray and Superior Court Judge Martin Tangeman, who both have other criminal and civil court proceedings on the calendar. San Luis Obispo.com also writes:

A visibly frustrated Tangeman said no one should assume anything about how the preliminary hearing will proceed. He told Gray that not knowing the witnesses’ names and tentative timeline for the prosecution case has become “horribly problematic.”