During a two week trial in May 2006, The Maher Law Firm Partner Steven Maher along with co-counsel, Daniel Cotter, presented the tragic case of 10-year old Joey Minotti who died in a group home after being given a lethal dose of methadone. The physician ordered methadone, a dangerous and inappropriate drug, to treat Joey and provided a prescription for it to the group home staff despite the fact that Joey’s parents had not agreed to its use. The prescription was ultimately filled by a local pharmacy, however, it was dispensed with instructions to give ten times the dose prescribed by the physician due, in part, to the physician’s use of a trailing zero. A staff member of the group home administered the lethal dose of methadone to Joey without parental consent and when the night aide found Joey not breathing, she failed to call 911 and instead left several messages for her supervisor. It was not until several hours later that 911 was called, however, it was too late. The jury found the doctor who prescribed the methadone, the pharmacy that filled the prescription and the group home that administered the drug negligent and awarded the Minottis 10 million dollars for their pain and suffering. The family entered into confidential settlements with the pharmacy and group home prior to trial.

One of five children in the Minotti family of Deland, Florida, Joey was born with Downs’ Syndrome and was autistic. When he began to express his frustrations with self-injurious behavior, his parents temporarily placed him in an Orlando, Florida group home with the hope that he would be taught less destructive behaviors and return home. While at the group home, Joey began to see Dr. Joseph Keeley, a developmental pediatrician who practices with a Florida Hospital physicians group.

According to Mr. Maher, Joey’s parents had made it clear that they did not want their son to be drugged. Yet, Dr. Keeley prescribed an experimental use of methadone to treat him. "Methadone is more potent that morphine," says Mr. Maher. "There is absolutely no medical research or literature to support the use of methadone to treat self-injurious behavior."

The Maher Law Firm's Of Counsel lawyer, John Jones was also co-counsel on the case. After the trial, there was extensive media coverage of the verdict. Joey’s father, Robert Minotti, told reporters that he and the rest of his family finally felt closure. He said: "Joey’s life was so valuable-he taught me things that I wouldn’t have learned if I hadn’t had a child with disabilities."