A Dakota County jury last night found a doctor not guilty of negligence in the death of an Eagan woman. 23 year-old Mita Smith died six days after having her varicose veins removed by Dr Richard Aizpuru.The suit claimed the doctor and his nurse gave the woman an excessive mixture of anesthetics and sedatives which caused her heart to fail. The defense disagreed, saying the cause of the heart problem could not be determined.

While acquitting the defendant, the jury DID award the woman's family $222,000 for past and future damages. Smith left behind an 8 year-old son.