Alexee Trevizo Update: Timeline from Hospital Incident to Supreme Court Ruling
While the criminal docket remains paused, Gary Mitchell shifted scrutiny to the clinical protocols employed at Artesia General Hospital. In August 2023, the defense filed a civil wrongful death complaint alleging treating personnel committed gross negligence by administering multiple potent medications, including morphine and intravenous Zofran, without first screening Trevizo for advanced pregnancy.
The defense’s toxicology experts assert that intravenous morphine administered to a woman in crowning labor crosses the placenta rapidly, inducing respiratory depression, bradycardia, and cyanosis in a neonate. Mitchell argued the baby was already lethargic, asphyxiated, and incapable of independent respiration when delivered into the bathroom, undermining the prosecution's claim of active suffocation.
Artesia General Hospital denied liability, maintaining staff provided appropriate emergency stabilization based on the patient's reported symptoms and denial of pregnancy. The civil action seeks unspecified compensatory damages while compelling depositions from treating nurses, attending physicians, and hospital administration regarding medication timing and bathroom safety protocols.