prosecutor had improperly withheld exculpatory evidence:
In the first trial of the matter, the state lawyers procured the testimony of their "star" expert witness, Bradford Hare, MD, an anesthesiologist at the University of Utah. Before that trial, Hare advised the state that he was "not that much of an expert at end-of-life care," and recommended that they contact his colleague Perry Fine, MD, a well recognized palliative care expert, and solicit his opinion.
The state lawyers did this. After careful study of the medical records, Dr. Fine concluded that no criminal activity had occurred, and advised the state of this fact.
The state then told Dr. Fine that he should keep his opinions to himself, and that they would inform the defense team of those opinions. But they did not do so, despite repeated defense requests for disclosure of any exculpatory evidence, so-called "Brady material," which prosecutors are legally required to share. Neither did they reconsider their theory of the case.
Instead the state lawyers went to trial, using their now-discredited (by his own recommendation!) Dr. Hare as their expert. In this first trial, through this and other unscrupulous tactics, the state lawyers won a conviction and sentence of fifteen years in prison.