Florida Judge Upholds Rush Limbaugh's Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

PRNewswire via COMTEX ^ | 12/12/05 | Roy Black

[M. Thatcher]

MIAMI, Dec 12, 2005 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Roy Black, Rush Limbaugh's attorney, issued the following statement regarding Judge David F. Crow's decision today prohibiting prosecutors from asking the talk show host's doctors about his medical treatment and condition or information he shared with his doctors during his care and treatment.

Judge Crow's ruling upholds our argument that the State cannot breach doctor-patient confidentiality just because it has obtained some medical records, and thus the state cannot ask the doctors its questions posed to the court during the hearing.

Judge Crow's decision prohibits the State from questioning Mr. Limbaugh's physicians about "the medical condition of the patient and any information disclosed to the healthcare practitioner by the patient in the course of the care and treatment of the patient."

We are pleased with the court's ruling upholding the patient's statutory right of doctor-patient confidentiality. We've said from the start that there was no doctor shopping but Mr. Limbaugh should not have to give up his right to doctor-patient confidentiality to prove his innocence.

The medical records that the State has seized and reviewed now for nearly six months show that Mr. Limbaugh received legitimate medical treatment for legitimate medical reasons. Mr. Limbaugh has not been charged with a crime and he should not be charged.

SOURCE Roy Black

Tony Knight, or Tammy Taylor, both of Sitrick And Company, +1-310-788-2850, for Roy Black

http://www.prnewswire.com

Copyright (C) 2005 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.

[StAnDeliver]

Schadenfraude! The prosecutor's misdeeds laid to waste by a competent judge were enjoyable enough, but oh how I love to hear the FauxpeRs squeal!

[silentknight]

Awwww sweet and a nice try. Never said a word about the war on drugs. Rush is a liar. Call em as I see them. He is a liar and a hyp...that is the bottom line.

Not to mention other things he has been caught doing...

I used to love him but heh I have better things now to do with my time.

Just another jockey on the radio...he is now.

I can't believe people on here with family values even would THINK about supporting this man?

Most prob do not.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Thanks for the update. Last Rush mentioned, the prosecutor's medical records fishing expedition failed so they needed to scrap all doctor/patient confidentially laws to get Rush. Glad the judge showed some common sense and a knowledge of the law.

[Dave W]

You are very self righteous and judgemental.

[Liberty Valance]

This is good news!
Thanks for posting.

[cwb]

"I used to love him but heh I have better things now to do with my time."

---

Sure you do.

[STARWISE]

Good news PING!

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"No one would think it was harmless crime."

Yes it was. At least, to all people but Rush, who not only went through the hell of addiction but may well have lost his hearing from the ototoxicity of Oxycontin. It is hard to imagine a clearer example of the futility and immorality of the war on drugs than this episode. Keep in mind he was not popping pills to get high-- he was popping pills to make the pain stop.

The maid was not credible, sorry. It is hard to imagine a man with Limbaugh's resources doing what the maid said he did. Just doesn't compute.

Meanwhile, maybe he did go doc shopping, or maybe he didn't-- painkiller addiction is a relentless mistress. But you should be glad--yes you--that the prosecutors are prevented from prowling through his private medical records in search of dirt. After all, their next target might have been you.

[brivette]

"I can't believe people on here with family values even would THINK about supporting this man? "

Wrong, wrong wrong.

[nopardons]

That's great news!

The damned fishing adventure should now be over.

[Born Conservative]

[not2worry]

I thought the last resort for the prosecution was the Dr. Shopping Charges. The maid a/k/a Wilma (how appropriate) was from what I understand one of the prosecution's witnesses. I think she was the one that turned Rush in when he would not pay her blackmail request. I also believe from what I remember of the story, Wilma and her husband suggested to Rush they could get meds for him. I would suspect being his maid she saw the prescription bottles of the drugs he was taking and thought her and the hubby could make some easy money. I think Wilma's hubby was getting the drugs from a Florida pharmacy that is now shut down.

In any case, I stand to be corrected, since this is all from memory. I doubt we will see Wilma The Maid on trial for anything. I think the hubby has a number of priors and I doubt if the wife would testify against him.

The whole case, IMHO, was to get Rush, not the Maid or her husband. They were just drug dealers selling to the highest bidder. No law against that evidently in the State of Florida.

I am just happy for Rush. Life is Good!

[Edit35]

FINALLY! Some freaking sanity in the courts.

To think a prosecutor could simply begin asking medical questions on a quest to destroy a political opponent was insane!!!

[Edit35]

...there should be Paitient-Maid privelege

I guess you also think that maid-patient privledge includes the right of the maid to extort the client out of thousands of $$ if he or she refuses to go along with any version of "truth" the maid decides??

[Hardastarboard]

my dentist refused to prescribe any more Vicadin (I think) because he thought I was mis-using it. Told me 4 advils do the same job.

I've taken both drugs, and even though I'm not medically trained, your dentist is a moron (no offense to you, of course). If the man truly believes that, I'd seriously consider getting a different dentist. That statement totally undermines his credibility.

[Edit35]

Not death penalty. 10 years in prison? 20? No one would think it was harmless crime.

So I take it that you are advocating here and now that anyone who has ever done a "non-prescribed" drug should run down to the nearest police station and turn themselves in??

Hey, why stop at that?

Anyone who has ever driven an auto while intoxicated should likewise handcuff themselves and head for jail.

After all, why bother with evidence?

In your world, self admission should just about equal the hearsay of an admitted extortionist maid in the evidence department, dontcha think??

[RushCrush]

I feel sorry for those who don't agree that what's good for Rush in this case is good for the country.

Kinda puts you on the side of the DUmmies, huh.

[youngjim]

What about Patient-Maid confidentiality?

I think just like the attorney-client privelege, there should be Paitient-Maid privelege, so innocent prescription-drug-addicts can maintain there privacy and get their maids to buy drugs for them.

I feel sorry for Rush. All poor guy did is getting his maid to buy him illegal drugs and next thing you know he is being persecuted.

Shame on the justice system.

Do you not think that the "justice system" would have prosecuted Rush for buying illegal drugs from his maid if they had any proof of this?

If Al Franken or any other Hollywood Celebrity did what Rush did then you would be calling for death penalty.

Point is, once you make yourself spokesperson for Conservatism, you have certain responsibilities, and one of the primary being, DO NOT EMBARASS your-self otherwise you make all conservatives look like hyporcrites.

What a classic psychological projection! Therapy will do you good. Until you get some STFU.

By giving these creeps a break you hurt your own cause.

What hurts our "cause" is the minority of envious pharisees that give the pubbies a bad name by repeating spurious allegations and demanding ideological perfection from your associates. Franken and their ilk will always hate us--your making the perfect the enemy of the good may satisfy your validation issues but strikes this reader as psychological masturbation. While I'm sure you enjoy yourself, it's quite distasteful to read.

[Edit35]

WANTED: Republican Spokesman - who doesn't ask his maid to buy illegal drugs and does not sexually harass the co-workers.

Why don't you volunteer?

I'm sure you are willing to open up every facet of your life to public scrutiny. For example name all your sex partners, every instance of alcohol-drug usage, let us view your tax returns against any check and-or cash payment you've ever received?

We want perfection, now, so don't let the Freepers down.

[Matchett-PI]

Whoo Hooo!!! bttt!