Charges put Rush in select group: 2

New York Daily News ^ | 1/04/04 | News Wire Sdervices

[kattracks]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Rush Limbaugh was wrong when he accused prosecutors of singling him out, but not by much. Palm Beach County prosecutors investigating the right-wing radio host for his prescription drug abuse have filed "doctor shopping" charges against one other person in the past five years, according to records.

Limbaugh's lawyer said the court documents, reviewed by The Palm Beach Post yesterday, prove his client was unfairly targeted.

"Rush Limbaugh has been singled out for special prosecution because of who he is," Roy Black told the paper. "We believe the state attorney's office is applying a double standard."

State Attorney Barry Krischer denied the accusation, saying, "Whether Mr. Limbaugh is subject to prosecution for any crimes is still under investigation."

Investigators seized Limbaugh's medical records in November after discovering he got more than 2,000 painkillers, prescribed by four doctors, at a pharmacy near his home. Limbaugh's former maid told investigators she supplied him with prescription painkillers for years.

Limbaugh's lawyers had argued the seizure of his records violated his privacy and that the probe was politically motivated.

The commentator, once a harsh critic of drug abusers, recently admitted his addiction, saying it stemmed from severe back pain. He took a five-week leave from his radio show to enter a detox program.

The Palm Beach Post review found only one case in which the county filed charges of illegally acquiring overlapping prescriptions, but the defendant died before trial.

Doctor shopping, a crime that can bring up to five years in prison, is conning more than one physician to write the same prescriptions within 30 days.

Originally published on January 4, 2004

[Lando Lincoln]

Like it?! It's a masterpiece! Leaves my html skills sorely wanting!

Lando

[ConservativeMan55]

LOL!

[Nick Thimmesch]

I've been a Rush Limbaugh listener since day one: Rush's hypocracy on the War on Some Drugs makes it difficult if not impossible to listen anymore. For all the Freepers and others who are blindly supporting him on this all I can ask is where have you been with your technicalities and conspiracy theories for the millions and millions of American citizens who were arrested, imprisoned and laid to ruin for simple marijuana possession during Rush's tenure? Certainly you don't beleive that very dangerous & addictive "prescription" drugs like Oxy and the other crap he was ingesting at record rates are worse than marijuana?

Where were you -- writing your representatives, speaking out, voting for drug policy reform candidates -- for these people? All of a sudden: Rush is a victim. Rush is a victim of his own greed and addiction: hard to feel sorry for him let alone believe him anymore.

[veronica]

I don't recall Rush talking about drugs very often. And I don't think people should be jailed for having small amounts of weed either. I don't "feel sorry" for Rush and I don't he's a victim, and he does not think of himself as a victim. He's admitted he did something wrong, he has sought treatment, and he just does not want to be singled out for malicious prosecution because he's a Conservative icon. I support him 100% and I always will.

[_Jim]

Rush's hypocracy on the War on Some Drugs

"There you go again" ... you can't cite ONE diatribe where Rush 'went off on drugs'. As a matter of fact, Rush stated he avoided such discussions, and you can't point to any.

Now, hang it up on this point ...

[ConservativeMan55]

I'm convinced they just pull th.is crap out of the air.

[_Jim]

I'm convinced they just pull th.is crap out of the air.

Truly - a classic example of listening, but not hearing and then 'coloring' any recollections with what their 'perceptive memories' dictate ...

[ConservativeMan55]

Exactly. Its like they know what the truth is, but deny it exists.

[_Jim]

I had one character here on FR claim that the oft-used and done in humor phrase "long-haired, maggot-infested, dope-smoking FM types" was an indictment of dope smokers, and, to top it off this character couldn't even get the phrase right!

That phrase, BTW, when used by Rush is a humorous indictment of the liberals who inhabit the FM dial more than it was EVER intended to indict or torment the lowly 'dope smoker' ...

[ConservativeMan55]

LOL...did you point out to them that if Rush is indicted....EVERYONE any ANYONE who has ever admitted to using drugs will have to be prosecuted.

This includes Brett Favre, Ozzy Osbourne, Jack Osbourne, and just about every other celebrity known to man.

[backhoe]

I don't recall Rush talking about drugs very often. And I don't think people should be jailed for having small amounts of weed either. I don't "feel sorry" for Rush and I don't think he's a victim, and he does not think of himself as a victim. He's admitted he did something wrong, he has sought treatment, and he just does not want to be singled out for malicious prosecution because he's a Conservative icon. I support him 100% and I always will.

Not only do I agree with your every word, I, too, can't recall Rush saying much about drugs, besides an occasional quip.

[ConservativeMan55]

In fact...they had to go back to 1995 to even find a quote where Rush mentioned drugs. 9 years! LOL!

[backhoe]

In fact...they had to go back to 1995...

Exactly.

I keep Rush on in the background while I do other things- and darned if I could recall much besides that "maggot-infested" crack that sounded like satire or parody, to me, at least.

BTW, I pulled the source code for your Rush list and am studying it to see if I can plagiarize the idea for a picture & links banner about other subjects I cover.

[AnAmericanMother]

In fact...they had to go back to 1995 to even find a quote where Rush mentioned drugs. 9 years! LOL!

And that was not in the context of "going after druggies", but simply a discussion of . . . drum roll . . . selective prosecution (in that case, black vs. white IIRC).

[blackie]

Rush Is The Man!

[speedy]

If this thing drags on, are there any plans afoot among South Florida Freepers to give this Krischer clown a little taste of Freeping? Seems to me it might help educate this guy about the folly of unleashing political witch hunts.

[Nanodik]

From the RL TV show 10/5/95:

"What this says to me is that too many whites are getting away with drug use. Too many whites are getting away with drug sales. Too many whites are getting away with trafficking in this stuff. The answer to this disparity is not to start letting people out of jail because we're not putting others in jail who are breaking the law. The answer is to go out and find the ones who are getting away with it, convict them and send them up the river, too."

More quotes can be found here:

http://www.fair.org/extra/0311/limbaugh-drugs.html

[Nanodik]

Rush Is The Man!

Yeah, if you are looking to score some hillbilly heroine.

[_Jim]

The answer to this disparity is not to start letting people out of jail because we're not putting others in jail who are breaking the law.

You *do* understand/you did understand just WHAT was being conveyed here - don't you?

The libs at the time were moving forward with the idea that people should be let OUT of jail AS OPPOSED TO putting those into jail who broke the law.

I think, but am not certain at this point, that THIS also predates the point in time where Rush began have spine/back trouble (WHICH precipitated the treatment pain with pain-killing medication presciption issued by the medical profession).

Now, was that all you had?