Opinion ID: 874885
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Propulsid

Text: At trial, evidence was introduced that at the time of his death, Casey was taking Propulsid to treat his acid reflux disorder and was also taking the antibiotic, Zithromax. After trial, it came to light that Propulsid could cause cardiac arrest, edema and other symptoms. Stevens then moved the trial court for a new trial, arguing that this newly discovered evidence could explain why Casey fell as Stevens slept and would likely produce an acquittal. The district court denied this motion. It concluded that although the evidence about Propulsid's side effects was newly discovered, [1] it was not material evidence likely to produce an acquittal. The court noted that the only evidence presented at trial was that Casey's death was caused by a skull fracture. There is no question that the massive skull fracture suffered by Casey could have caused his death. He suffered a fracture to the occipital bone, which forms the back part of the skull and the base of the cranium. In the center, underside of the cranium, there is a large opening called the foramen magnum, through which nerve fibers from the brain pass and enter into the spinal cord. The fracture extended eight centimeters vertically from the occiput (back of the head) downward to the foramen magnum. It was a complex (zig-zag) fracture 2½ centimeters wide as opposed to a linear fracture. It takes a lot more force to produce a complex fracture than it does to produce a linear fracture. The fracture was located in the toughest part of the skull, because the occipital bone is thicker than other parts of the skull and is protected by muscles and tendons in the neck that attach to it. The fracture was a third to a half of the circumference of Casey's skull and would have resulted in immediate symptoms. The court recognized that the issue for the jury was whether Casey's skull fracture was caused by a fall down the stairs or by Stevens battering him. The jury was presented with Stevens's theory that Casey fell down the stairs while Stevens slept. Nonetheless, the jury concluded the injuries were caused by Stevens; thus, offering new evidence to explain why Casey may have fallen in the first place would not probably produce an acquittal. Instead, the only way for the evidence to be material evidence likely to produce an acquittal was if it were to show that sometime after the trauma that caused Casey's skull fracture but before he died from that trauma, Casey had a heart attack from taking Propulsid, which in turn caused the edema and his death. None of the evidence Stevens presented to support his motion for a new trial shows that Casey actually died from these side effects of taking Propulsid. Here, the district court did not abuse its discretion. It noted that the decision to grant a motion for a new trial was discretionary. The court's conclusions are supported by evidence presented at trial and in the briefing on the motion for a new trial, and the court correctly applied the law to the facts. The court recognized that the jury was presented with a question as to what caused the massive and fatal skull fracture Casey suffered and was presented with two alternate theories. That one theory  Casey fell down the stairs  may now have additional support does not mean that the supporting evidence is material. The jury rejected this theory and determined that Stevens's actions caused Casey's injuries. As the trial court reasoned, the newly-discovered Propulsid evidence is not material nor is it likely to produce an acquittal. Thus, we hold that the district court did not abuse its discretion and affirm its order denying Stevens a new trial based on the Propulsid evidence.