Nebraska Supreme Court upholds doctor's manslaughter conviction

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 22:19 · Archive

The Nebraska Supreme Court has upheld Omaha doctor Mark Carlson's manslaughter conviction in a 2023 crash that killed 22-year-old Anna Bosma.

Dr Mark Carlson, an Omaha doctor, has had his manslaughter conviction upheld by the Nebraska Supreme Court following a decision issued on Friday. In February 2025, a jury found him guilty of manslaughter in connection with a September 2023 crash that killed Anna Bosma, a 22-year-old South Dakota woman who had recently graduated from college. Prosecutors argued that Carlson was racing someone in his Mercedes when he lost control on Dodge Street in front of the University of Nebraska Omaha and collided with oncoming traffic.

Carlson was sentenced to 10–14 years in prison in March 2025. Under Nebraska law, he would be eligible for release after five years. In appealing to the state's highest court, Carlson argued that the trial judge should have instructed jurors to consider whether he had suffered a medical episode, such as fainting or another unforeseen and unavoidable medical event, that caused him to lose control of the vehicle.

Carlson also objected to a prosecutor's statement during closing arguments that 'unconsciousness does not equal not guilty'. The Nebraska Supreme Court found that neither the jury instructions nor the prosecutor's statement misrepresented the law or failed to account for Carlson's mental state. The court upheld the judge's determination, noting that the existing instructions would have prevented jurors from convicting Carlson had they determined an unforeseen and unavoidable medical episode caused the incident while he was otherwise driving lawfully.

How it is being reported

• Nebraska Supreme Court upholds Omaha doctor’s manslaughter convictionIn a decision issued Friday, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld the manslaughter conviction and sentence for Dr. Mark Carlson.1011Now · 9 Oct, 21:57
• Nebraska Supreme Court upholds Omaha doctor’s manslaughter convictionIn a decision issued Friday, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld the manslaughter conviction and sentence for Dr. Mark Carlson.WOWT · 9 Oct, 21:57

In this story: Mark Carlson · Anna Bosma · Nebraska Supreme Court · Omaha · South Dakota

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