Fifth continuance in criminal proceedings over alleged drug diversion will push case to trial more than two years after she left her job

A pre-trial hearing in the criminal case against former Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center nurse Dani Marie Schofield, who faces 44 counts of second-degree assault centering around allegations she swapped prescription fentanyl with non-sterile tap water and caused harm to dozens of patients, some of whom died, has been rescheduled for the fifth time since last summer.

Schofield was arrested nearly a year ago, June 13, 2024, some 11 months after leaving her job at the Medford hospital and after state nursing board officials reported she had voluntarily agreed not to work in the medical field.

Schofield was indicted by the Grand Jury on 44 second-degree assault charges under Measure 11. Victims named in the case are a mix of former living patients and family members of patients who have since died.

Schofield pleaded not guilty following her arrest and is currently free on bail. A pre-trial hearing was originally scheduled for July 29 but had been moved several times, including most recently set for Monday.

In the latest request for a continuance, Schofield’s attorneys filed a motion to reschedule to May 28. Schofield’s Medford-based attorney, Jeni Feinberg, stated in court documents the request was made “on the grounds and for the reason that the parties would like to discuss scheduling matters on the record with Judge (Jeremy) Markiewicz.” 

Feinberg, in her motion which was approved by Judge Markiewicz, noted the continuance was requested “in good faith and not simply for purposes of delay.”

Markiewicz was assigned the case after a pair of motions in July disqualifying Jackson County Circuit Court judges Kelly Ravassipour and Laura Cromwell, whom Schofield told her attorneys she believed could not conduct “a fair and impartial hearing or trial.”

Aside from the criminal proceedings, Schofield, who lives on Rogue River Drive in Eagle Point, faces 11 civil lawsuits representing dozens of former patients at the Asante hospital and, in other cases, family members of patients who are no longer alive.

In total, the civil cases add up to more than $500 million, all naming Schofield as a defendant along with Asante except for two cases.

The investigation into the alleged drug diversion at the Medford hospital first made headlines in December 2023 when Medford police confirmed an investigation into claims that a former employee at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center stole controlled substances that were prescribed to patients, resulting “in adverse patient care.”
Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Bloom issued a stay in September in civil cases filed against Schofield, preventing evidence gathering in civil suits filed against Schofield, pending the outcome of her criminal case.

The May 28 pre-trial hearing is set for 11 a.m. before Judge Markiewicz.

Reach reporter Buffy Pollock at 458-488-2029 or bpollock@rv-times.com. Follow her on Twitter @orwritergal.