Posted on 10/04/2003 12:07:26 PM PDT by kattracks
Despite screaming front page headlines and top-of-the-hour news reports suggesting that Rush Limbaugh is in legal hot water over allegations that he abused painkillers over a four year period, prosecutors and attorneys said Saturday that any actual criminal case against the top talk star would be weak.James Martz, the prosecutor who heads up the Palm Beach County, Florida task force investigating the Limbaugh case noted that police never actually caught the talk star purchasing any drugs. "Shy of that, we have very little leverage in the state system," he told the Palm Beach Post.
Martz said he is more interested in finding the heads of drug distribution cells rather than going after alleged low-level prescription drug users like Limbaugh.
Florida attorney Michael Salnick agreed that the case is weak, telling the Post, "I think that the state better have a heck of a lot more than what I'm seeing, hearing and reading right now."
"First of all you have a major credibility issue with these witnesses. The credibility issue starts with the fact they sold their story to The National Enquirer," the attorney said.
"I think it's legal suicide to go after a guy like Limbaugh with evidence as flimsy as this," Salnick added.
Another problem is that one of Limbaugh's accusers, David Cline, was convicted himself on cocaine trafficking charges in 1982.
What about the wire worn by Cline's wife Wilma, Limbaugh's housekeeper who told the Enquirer that she taped their last two drug transactions?
Apparently the recording is more legally problematic for the Clines than it is for Limbaugh. Attorneys told the Post that if Mrs. Cline did tape Limbaugh without his knowledge, she committed a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
What more, prosecutor Martz said such an illegally obtained recording would be inadmissible in court.
How about the emails supplied by Cline that purportedly document Limbaugh's drug deals?
Martz told the Post that any such evidence is of little value because it's difficult to actually verify who sent the email.
Further weakening any possible prosecution is the issue of Limbaugh's celebrity, which Florida attorney Marc Shiner said complicates the case.
"Why would drug dealers turn in their client unless they are trying to save their own neck -- or trying to make a couple hundred thousand dollars peddling their story to the tabloids?" he asked.
"If I was Roy Black," Shiner added, referring to the lawyer Limbaugh has reportedly hired, "I'd be sitting on the beach right now sipping a pina colada or watching a Marlins game and not worrying too much about Rush Limbaugh's criminal liability right now."
For now what does he have to lose? Those who believe he's done something wrong believe it, those who don't believe it don't. He's in the same situation, except that if he makes a clear statement of innocense and is vindicated as you claim he will be, then he's taken the moral high ground with absolute certainty of his position. If he plays legal manuevers and obtains legal vindication, then he only plays into the hands of those who say that he bought justice.
What are you trying to do?
Be rational and normal?
You've got a lot of noive!
Not necessarily. Do your remember the allegations about 10 years ago about Rush using drugs? I recall the program back then where he dealt with this. He admitted that he went through a period of depression a few years before that. He got professional help with the condition. Part of the treatment was a prescribed anti-depressant drug. He dealt honestly with the story and it just went away. I doubt that many even remember this.
Do you also remember the accusations back then when Rush was accused of molesting boys? He dealted with the issue on the air. He said it simply wasn't true and the story died. Again, I doubt that many people remember the accusation.
Could Rush have been taking medication for his ear problem? I think it possible. He will disclose the truth when it is the proper time to do so. Whatever the truth, Rush will deal with it honestly and with class. His fans will go on listening to him. His detractors will believe what they want to believe, and it won't make any difference in the long run.
My argument is that "wakycat" and others state they [key word] would think he is innocent/guilty based on that [Rush's] statement.
The Clinton example was just that. An example proving that statements of guilt or innocence by anyone are meaningless.
There are no guilty persons in Jail. Just ask them.
Would not be a Vast Left Wing Conspiracy now would it ?
One thing about the Progressive dimwits is that they telegraph some of their moves. IE - They accussed Arnolds campaign of attempting to sabatoge a Gray Davis gathering 1 to 2 nights prior to the releaze of their 'Mother of All Slime Attacks'. The reason they did this was two fold. First they had to convince their media minions (mind numbed leftist robots) that attacking Arnold was the 'right' thing to do. So they pushed through a false accusation of Arnold's campaign doing dirty tricks. This allowed the leftist media minions to justify to themselves that being a whore for the Mother of All Slime Attacks was okay. The second reason they did the flase Arnold Dirty Tricks charge is that somewere deep down in some of their abused souls, there is a little tiny amount of moral justice still remaining
At first I was thinking to myself, "Didn't Rush do a background check?" and now I wonder -- did he hire Wilma because he knew she wasn't an illegal immigrant?
I think it's possible. Either way I wouldn't be shocked --- I think the democrats are low enough to try to make up something completely false. But I also know it's not at all unusual for doctors to prescribe painkillers that are quite addicting and people inadvertantly become addicted without ever intending to do so.
Pill popping is such a common problem in our society and maybe in all ---- it's not a real issue. It might open our eyes a little to how easily anyone can become addicted to chemicals and make everyone a little more leery about prescriped medicines they take which they think are safe because their doctor first introduced them.
Lots of kidding around here these days....reminds me of the Lott Affair....I was on the heretic side then too. Good luck!
If they aren't driving who cares........
This was a hatchet job on Rush and it, like all the other democrat lies, will go away of it own weight.....
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