Virginia Doctor's Opioid Conviction Overturned, New Trial Ordered

A federal appeals court cites a misinterpretation of law in the original trial, setting the stage for a retrial under revised legal standards.

A federal appeals court has ordered a new trial for Virginia doctor Joel Smithers, convicted in 2019 for illegally prescribing over 500,000 doses of opioids.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that jury instructions at Smithers' trial misstated the law, citing a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling requiring proof of 'knowingly or intentionally' unauthorized actions for conviction.
Smithers, who was sentenced to 40 years in prison, argued that he believed there was a legitimate medical purpose for the prescriptions he wrote.
Prosecutors described Smithers' practice as a drug distribution ring, with patients traveling hundreds of miles for prescriptions.
Smithers' attorney anticipates full exoneration at the new trial, emphasizing the legal focus on the doctor's intent regarding prescriptions.