Death Without Dignity

The case of State of Texas vs. Autumn Hills Nursing Homes, Inc. went to trial in a borrowed San Antonio courtroom 25 years ago. It matched a Texas dream team for the defense including Roy Minton, Tom Sartwelle, Mike Ramsey, and Roy Barrera Sr. against a determined (some would say obsessed) young assistant attorney general, David Marks, and his backup team from the state. The jury heard six months of horrifying testimony about catastrophic medical failure when corporate greed trumps medical care. Death Without Dignity is their story, told by a journalist who was allowed the exceedingly rare experience of being not only in the courtroom, but was allowed by the judge to be in chambers when lawyers wrangled out of earshot of the jury - something that had never been allowed any journalist before or since, according to the lead defense lawyer. The case remains today as the longest and most expensive criminal prosecution in Texas history and Death Without Dignity is now a courtroom classic.