Rush Limbaugh Plea negotiations

The Smoking Gun ^ | January 23, 2004 | legal documents

[Sarah]

PUNK'D: Ashton Kutcher victim suit headed to trial

JANUARY 23--Plea negotiations between Rush Limbaugh and Florida prosecutors stalled last month when government officials insisted that the radio host cop to a felony, rejecting a defense suggestion that Limbaugh simply enter a pretrial diversion program and "continue to receive treatment for his addiction." In an exchange of letters (copies of which you'll find below), Roy Black, Limbaugh's attorney, and prosecutor James Martz offered starkly different versions of the punishment Limbaugh, 53, should receive were he to admit that he engaged in "doctor shopping" to score prescription painkillers and other drugs. In his December 15 letter, Martz argued that Palm Beach investigators had evidence to support "in excess of ten felony counts" against Limbaugh. Copies of the Black-Martz correspondence were released to reporters pursuant to a freedom of information request. In November, agents executed search warrants at the offices of three Limbaugh doctors in an attempt to determine whether he illegally obtainied drugs like OxyContin, Hydrocodone, and Xanax. (4 pages)

[greasepaint]

(post 75)
re: 10 felonies: The longer this goes on the worse it seems to look for Rush, my advice to the SA is,take your time and be thourough. Rush also made a (IMO)deceitful
promise to 'cooperate fully".
\
re:doctor shopping : the scope of (alleged) activities goes
beyond the typical situation of doctor-shopping.
\
re: addicted to painkillers : Rush said he took the drugs because he liked them.
http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/11039.htm
Only Rush knows why he did this, no one else will ever know.
\
re: Bret Favre: He was hurt on the job. Speculation, its hard to play golf when your neck(Rush) hurts..

[longtermmemmory]

Once we know the facts, a competent lawyer can make them fit whatever side you need.

Rush has 1000 pill perscribed legitimatly and paid for with cash.

With that fact, we can charge him of lying to his doctors. With that fact we can charge him with being a drug dealing.With that fact we can charge money laundering.With that same fact we can defend.

We don't have all the information. What I DO know is this case is being dragged on purpose. What I DO know is there was just enough probable cause to charge a simple user case looong ago and dump this whole matter in drug court. What I DO know is the SA is in violation of the FL BAR ethics rules.

Perhaps its my proximaty to the palm beach courthouse.

[longtermmemmory]

so much for cohesive argument. Dealer? well that can be added to the other pointless fishing expeditions.

[RS]

"What I DO know is this case is being dragged on purpose."

Correct, by Black...

"What I DO know is there was just enough probable cause to charge a simple user case looong ago and dump this whole matter in drug court."

But, but I thought Rush didn't do ANYTHING illegal !
- do we have any proof that he used or possesed the drugs illegally ?

"What I DO know is the SA is in violation of the FL BAR ethics rules."

Do the FLA BAR ethics rules trump the Florida statutes ?
Is there any proof of any violation at all ?


"Perhaps its my proximaty to the palm beach courthouse."

Could you pick up a copy of Rush's letter Oct 3 offering any assistance to investigate the Clines and see if it mentions anywhere that he was being blackmailed by them for enormous sums of money ?
Shoot - if I lived near, I'd be down at that copy shop - FR needs a good source for all of that info, we can't depend on thesmokinggun for everything.

[RS]

"Dealer? well that can be added to the other pointless fishing expeditions."

Your longtermmemory dosen't have that network woman who was quoted as saying that he had more drugs then he would ever need and did not INTEND to distribute them ? Anyone know if she's gotten a suspicious promotion or been fired or transferred yet ?

I would bet that ALL of this is being checked out and tallied up behind the scenes.

Those who think that Rush is going to save our country from Hillery might do well to start looking for another standard bearer.

[Cubs Fan]

---I think Rush did a good job on OJ and Clinton ( but not good enough ) and deserves no less for himself.---

I don't know what you mean. Rush barely ever even talked about OJ, because he was ticked off that the OJ trial took some of his listenership away.

Furthermore OJ is a murderer and Clinton was a vile man who nearly ruined this country. *IF* Rush did something illegal I have no trouble with him having to face consequences for it. But unlike you (maybe you're one of these weird conservatives who hates Rush, or are a liberal, who knows) I know this-- there are a lot of us out here, thounsands, perhaps hundreds of thousands who would still be liberals if we had never turned his show on. We are not "blind followers" we validate him, not the other way around. I'd like to know what YOU have done for conservatism that can top that.

--In my opinion, he is guilty of it all, possibly even distributing ( although not for profit ).--

Doctor shopping? maybe, illegally obtained pills? possibly, distribution? *BUZZ* very very unlikely (what did he hand them out at parties? come on! Occams razor shreds that one in an instant).

Like many on the left your arguments seem to be tainted with your hatred for the person rather than what makes sense.

BTW her name is spelled Hill*a*ry with an a not an e. I usually don't like to go after spelling errors, but if you're going to bring her up so often at least spell her name right.

[Cubs Fan]

---re: 10 felonies: The longer this goes on the worse it seems to look for Rush,---

We don't know there's 10 felonies or even one, only that a democrat prosecutor said so. The same one who would rather play the case out in the media than actually charge someone.

--Rush also made a (IMO)deceitful promise to 'cooperate fully".--

He may very well have good reason for wanting his records to be private.

--re:doctor shopping : the scope of (alleged) activities goes beyond the typical situation of doctor-shopping.---

According to whom? the SA who has all this "proof" but refuses to even charge him??

--re: addicted to painkillers : Rush said he took the drugs because he liked them.--

Guess what, Nobody takes drugs because they DON'T like them, duh!

--re: Bret Favre: He was hurt on the job.--

Favre didn't become a alcoholic as well because he was hurt on the job. He must have liked drinking. But I know how it goes, Favre' is a hero Rush is a villain. Or at least that's the line of you Rush-haters.

--Speculation, its hard to play golf when your neck (Rush) hurts.--

Sure and when medicated your neck often stops hurting so you can go back and enjoy your normal life. But then we all know he doesn't deserve a normal life, I expect nothing short of Limbaugh getting the death penalty will satisfy people like you.

[GigaDittos]

You're right, Black is a moron and doesn't know what he's doing.

[RS]

"Doctor shopping? maybe, illegally obtained pills? possibly, distribution? *BUZZ* very very unlikely

What about that network spokesperson that mentioned that he had more pills that he could ever use and he did not INTEND to distribute them ? There may be a lot more people who know the details of this then we think - " Hey Rush 'ole buddy - can you spare a dozen of those ? I've got a box of cubans for 'ya..."

But at least your mind is open to the possibility that he has broken the law - He may be completely innocent, but I'm looking at the big picture and I just don't see that fitting it anywhere....


BTW - I do remember him breaking his " No OJ none of the time" vow a few times, and he allways seemed to be right on the money...

[Sarah]

I just don't like the argument that 'Why should I be the first one prosecuted for it.' Either it's a law and should be obeyed or it's worthy of repealing. But it's just so BELOW Rush to allow this to go on in his name.
Didn't we all enjoy a good laugh at Clinton when his defenders tried to say that he was the first President impeached for lying at a civil trial on sex related witch hunt...minor details etc.

[Sarah]

"In my opinion, he is guilty of it all, possibly even distributing ( although not for profit )."
I'm with you on everything but this. I think that he was hoarding while he had a source, knowing that he was lucky to have what he did. But to distribute he'd have left himself open to blackmail and humiliation. It just doesn't seem worth anything.

[RS]

"But to distribute he'd have left himself open to blackmail and humiliation. It just doesn't seem worth anything."

Obviously I don't mean he stood on a corner in a long coat whispering to passersby,
but if this were more widely known then we think, he might have had a few people in the entertainment biz that talked him out of some...

Those statements by the network spokesperson seemed really odd, like they were not surprised by any of this.
Except for those exceptions, we are not seeing interviews with anyone who knows him.

You might expect a few, "I've worked with him for 10 years and I never even knew he was taking prescription drugs..." or " Rush ? Illegal drugs ? Hogwash !" from people close to him, but everyone seems to be clammed up.

Even his current doctors could simply issue statements that say they knew about each other, and the amounts he was taking - it's not like it's a secret anymore...He could ask them to do it.

[Sarah]

No, of course. (Psst, want some blues?) lol

What's the issue here? Did those close to him suspect something? Is this important? What spokesperson? I'm lost.

[Eva]

You are reaching for this explanation of the prosecution of Rush Limbaugh. There is a big difference between the two charges, the only similarity is in the satisfaction that the opposition feels toward the demeaning result of the personalities of those prosecuted.

Clinton was the POTUS, the chief executive of the laws of the country, as such should be held to the highest expectations of legal order. The idea that it was all right for Clinton to abuse that power to sexually harrass young women, and then lie about it in a court of law (not to mention subborning perjury of others) was indicative of the elitist arrogance that pervaded the Clinton administration.

The doctor shopping charge that Limbaugh supposedly broke is (as you have stated) a stupid law which should be withdrawn, especially if it necessitates invasion of the doctor/patient relationship to prosecute in the first place. The fact that Limbaugh is a conservative radio personality should not make him more likely to be prosecuted than you or I. If it can happen to Rush, it can happen to any one of us, should we offend the leftist elite.

[RS]

"If it can happen to Rush, it can happen to any one of us, should we offend the leftist elite."

Some of what you said made sense until you reached here...
if you had said " should we break the same stupid law" or even " should we get addicted to prescription drugs" I could have respected what you said -
( but not agreed with it ) -

As it is you ended it on the " they are out to get him for political purposes" note -
which is the same as saying " it's OK to purjure yourself if it's only about sex - they only went after him for political purposes "

[Eva]

No, you also are reaching for justification of selective persecution. It doesn't matter whether we break the same stupid law, it matters that the prosecutors are invading the privacy of the doctor/patient relationship to fish for evidence of a crime, violating the concept of self-incrimination. This is a clear case of persecution, not prosecution.

The Democrats always think that the laws is meant to be used to advance their own agenda, to be applied only to their enemies. It still puzzles me that they attacked one of their own in Martha Stewart. The only explanation that I can come up with is that her domestic perfection posed a threat to their self esteem.

[RS]

"...it matters that the prosecutors are invading the privacy of the doctor/patient relationship to fish for evidence of a crime, violating the concept of self-incrimination."

Sorry, but this is the way it works under FL law - Their are specific means to open medical records for law enforcement, and the investigators followed the law. That's why Black had to file the appeal - the hearing on this was decided against him.

Let's say your kid is killed by a drunk driver who also goes directly to the hospital - without a law that allows investigators to look into his medical records to see if he was DUI, the perp walks away...

[Eva]

This is not a case of direct cause and effect as in the DUI instance. This was a clear case of a fishing expedition. The Florida courts are notorious for their leftist bias, and the appeal judge confirmed this bias with his ruling.

[RS]

"This was a clear case of a fishing expedition. The Florida courts are notorious for their leftist bias, and the appeal judge confirmed this bias with his ruling."

Oh - OK - I hadn't realized you were of the VLWC crowd.

In that case yes, every law that Rush breaks is bad, every investigator is politically motivated and everyone who is not in lock step with him is a left wing hack... sure...

[BobbyBeeper]

I'm really not up to speed on the Limbaugh case, but didn't his housekeeper blackmail Limbaugh and then work out a immunity deal?

I'm not sure what they think in Florida, but where I come from blackmail is considered a pretty serious crime. Being a drug addict is not quite at the same level.