Re:Player killed by broken court
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Jithendra.H.J
 , Scorecard
: 4516
Court says killer Calif. dentist should go free
SANTA ANA, Calif.—A former Southern California dentist who killed a 13-year-old girl and two other patients with overdoses of anesthesia in the 1980s must be paroled, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday.
Tony Protopappas, who has served more than 25 years of a possible life sentence, must have a hearing and be ruled eligible for release within 30 days, unless there is new evidence he poses a threat to society, the 4th District Court of Appeal said.
"Personality traits of arrogance, greed and narcissism, without more, do not support incarceration," the court said.
The state Board of Parole Hearings declined immediate comment because the agency had not seen the order Wednesday.
"The board will review the order and determine an appropriate response," the panel said in a statement.
Protopappas was convicted of second-degree murder in 1984 and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
Prosecutors said 13-year-old Patricia Craven, 24-year-old Kim Andreassen and 31-year-old Cathryn Jones died after receiving too much anesthesia at the Protopappas' Costa Mesa office in the early 1980s.
Protopappas said at the time he was taking opiate pain pills during the day to relieve back pain, and that he used cocaine after work.
He was denied parole four times, even though he had apologized in writing to the victims' families and had a clean prison discipline record for about 20 years.
At his last hearing in 2008, Protopappas said he accepted full responsibility for the deaths and would never practice dentistry again.
"I thought I was correct in anesthetizing these patients then. ... I do not think so now," he told the panel, according to court documents.
"I didn't react properly and that means calling the paramedics immediately, which could have saved, I believe, a couple of these people's lives," he said.
The appellate court said Protopappas had been afraid to admit he was incompetent and made serious mistakes.
The parole board denied Protopappas parole for two years, saying he would pose a danger to society in part because he lacked insight into the crime.
His attorney challenged that decision.
In a brief to the appellate court, state Deputy Attorney General Amy M. Roebuck pointed out that Protopappas' drug and alcohol abuse contributed to his negligence and that he continued to partly blame the deaths on assistants who were improperly trained.
However, the three-member appellate panel ruled there was no evidence he was a danger to society.
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