Prosecutors Can Examine Limbaugh Records

Yahoo/AP ^

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Prosecutors can examine Rush Limbaugh's medical records to determine whether he should be charged with "doctor shopping" for prescription painkillers, a judge ruled on Tuesday.

Palm Beach Circuit Judge Jeffrey A. Winikoff denied the conservative commentator's request to keep the records sealed.

Limbaugh's attorneys had argued that the seizure of the records from doctors in Florida and California violated the radio host's privacy. Investigators obtained the records last month after discovering that Limbaugh received more than 2,000 painkillers, prescribed by four doctors, at a pharmacy near his $24 million Palm Beach mansion.

Doctor shopping refers to looking for a doctor willing to prescribe drugs illegally, or getting prescriptions for a single drug from more than one doctor at the same time.

The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office began investigating Limbaugh last year, after his former maid told them she had been supplying him prescription painkillers for years.

Limbaugh recently admitted his addiction, stemming from severe back pain, and took a five-week leave from his afternoon radio show to enter a rehabilitation program.

[petitfour]

HIPPA is really HIPAA. Typo?

[Chad Fairbanks]

I have never heard of such a privacy right in regards to medical records. Based on what?

HIPPA, for one... Common decency for another...

[ContemptofCourt]

Yes...always make it.

[ContemptofCourt]

Care to refute any statements, or are you just going to call me stupid?

[PJ-Comix]

Legalities aside, what Rush did was wrong- period and it is beyond debate.

Wrong in the legal but not moral sense since he took those drugs for pain, not pleasure. Last night I had a minor case of food poisoning. If someone could have given me medication last night to relieve that excruciating stomach pain, I probably would have taken it and worried about the legalities later. It's not like Rush was taking those drungs to get a well, er, rush.

He has condemned this type of behavior for years so he really has two choices:

I've been listening to Rush for years and don't recall him on an anti-drug bandwagon. When he does mention folks taking drugs it was usually done humorously.

He is trying to steer a middle course by blurring his moral failings and hiding behind Roy Black of all people.

After seeing the antics of the judge it is a GOOD thing that he does have a GOOD lawyer.

Rush's behavior is scandalous. I predict the slow and tormented decline of a coward and I am surprised by the support he receives on this forum.

Let us know the date and time of your heavenly accension, Oh Perfect One, so we can wave bye-bye.

[longtermmemmory]

The law says he is entitled to an evidentiary hearing before subpoenaed.

what happened:

The records were siezed but kept sealed and not examined. (do you believe they did not even peek?)

The judge then had a hearing to hear why the records should not be turned over.

Then the judge allowed access subject to a gag order.


Sadly I see this as a them arguing harmless error since rush was given his hearing.

Interesting point: If this is sustained and there is no other decision on point, the 4th DCA opinion would be binding on other FL DCA's. Its an nuance of the FL courts. This case can them be used to obtain medical records in other matters which anyone can imagine. (abortion on minors for example)

[PJ-Comix]

However, Rush has always struck me, again since day 1, as being somewhat of an egomaniac.

"With talent on load from God-d~"

Apparently Rush's self-parody escapes you.

[PJ-Comix]

How is this illegal?

If the order violates the state constitution.

[Howlin]

It's not like Rush was taking those drungs to get a well, er, rush.

Well, then, if he was in such excruciating pain, why wasn't Rush, with all his wealth, able to find a doctor that would say he needed to have them and prescribe them?

Why did his regular doctors cut him off in 1999?

[PJ-Comix]

Well, then, if he was in such excruciating pain, why wasn't Rush, with all his wealth, able to find a doctor that would say he needed to have them and prescribe them?

They did prescribe those drugs for his back pain. That is how he got hooked. And such addiction is VERY common.

[WackyKat]

So you think Rush doesn't have a huge ego?

Is there anything Rush can do that you won't defend with twisted rationalizations?

If he were arrested for cannibalism, you'd say "But he was really, really hungry"!

[daler]

Hillary would never be in this position.

As we all know, neither of the Clintons would ever DREAM of doing something even slightly wrong, morally or legally.

//sarcasm intended//

[Howlin]

That's not what I asked you. Why didn't they KEEP giving him the prescriptions all these years? Why did Rush have to go looking for other doctors to give him the pills, and then resort to having his maid get them for him?

[Chad Fairbanks]

Then the judge allowed access subject to a gag order.

They'll be leaked, gag order or not. Just a guess, though.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Because he got addicted? Just a guess ;0)

[PJ-Comix]

So you think Rush doesn't have a huge ego?

He has a HEALTHY ego which is why he does a self-parody about having a big ego.

Is there anything Rush can do that you won't defend with twisted rationalizations?

SHEESH! So you think Rush saying that he has "talent on loan from God-d" is for real? You need to get real.

If he were arrested for cannibalism, you'd say "But he was really, really hungry"!

I might have before he lost all that weight.

[PJ-Comix]

Why did Rush have to go looking for other doctors to give him the pills, and then resort to having his maid get them for him?

Because he was ADDICTED!!! I'm addicted to cafein (fortunately legal) and I go NUTS if I can't have that morning coffee. Plus lets keep things in perspective here. What this is is a MEDICAL problem. It's not like Rush went out and committed murder.

[Egregious Philbin]

Regardless of the "crime", it seems undeniable that conservatives are prosecuted and persecuted with far more frequency and energy then libs.

I'm not sure that it is that political. As for one of your examples, i'd say the lack of an investigation of Kennedy had more to do with him having money than being liberal, especially as notions of "liberal" were different at the time.

I don't see the failure to prosecute others as a good defense of Rush. Perhaps their case against him is solid? He is innocent until proven guilty, though his stint in rehab is an admission of some sort of guilt, isn't it?

[cherry]

"$24 million Palm Beach mansion."

no wonder he doesn't see things like the "little" people anymore.....

[Egregious Philbin]

What this is is a MEDICAL problem. It's not like Rush went out and committed murder.

I wonder if Rush now sees it as a medical problem? He certainly spoke of drug abuse as a criminal problem before. I would rather see him come clean, so to speak, about the MEDICAL problem of addiction rather than see him made an example of.