Limbaugh attorney asks judge to keep medical records private
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Rush Limbaugh was blackmailed by a former maid who later told law enforcement and a tabloid newspaper about his addiction to prescription painkillers, his attorney told a judge on Monday. Attorney Roy Black said Limbaugh could not complain to authorities about the maid's demand for $4 million because they would use the information against him. He argued that now prosecutors are attempting to discredit the conservative radio commentator by investigating whether Limbaugh went "doctor shopping" for prescription painkillers. Black said prosecutors violated his client's privacy when they seized medical records from his doctors in Florida and California. But Palm Beach County prosecutors insist they need to review the records, which are sealed, to determine whether Limbaugh's doctors knew about his frequent prescriptions for painkillers, such as OxyContin and hydrocodone. Assistant State Attorney James Martz said reviewing the records would be the only way to determine if Limbaugh withheld information from his doctors and if he violated the law. Judge Jeffrey A. Winikoff did not say when he would decide whether the records should be unsealed. ___ December 22, 2003 - 3:16 p.m. CST |