Texas jury acquits nurse who filed anonymous complaint to state board about doctor’s practices

Texas jury acquits nurse who complained of doctor

KERMIT, Texas — A Texas jury has acquitted a nurse who filed an anonymous complaint to a state board about a doctor’s practices.

The Winkler County jury in West Texas returned its verdict on Thursday in the trial of Anne Mitchell.

She was indicted on a count of “misuse of official information.” That was after Dr. Rolando Arafiles (ah-rah-FEE’-lehs) filed a harassment complaint with the Winkler County Sheriff’s Department.

Prosecutors recently dropped a similar misuse charge against co-defendant and fellow nurse Vicki Galle (GAH’-yeh).

Among the nurses’ complaints were that the doctor improperly encouraged patients to buy herbal medicines from him and wanted to use hospital supplies to perform a procedure at a patient’s home.