Kind of like the 2000 elections...Same county.
Posted on 04/28/2006 3:11:12 PM PDT by kristinn
Edited on 04/28/2006 3:20:03 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Rush Limbaugh's attorney has issued a statement announcing a settlement of the Florida prosecutor's investigation into alleged doctor shopping by Rush Limbaugh.
Details have been read by Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh. Basically, the charge of doctor shopping is dismissed, with some conditions.
In response to media and other inquiries, Roy Black, Rush Limbaugh's attorney, released the following statement today concerning a settlement agreement with the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office to end the investigation of Mr. Limbaugh:
"I am pleased to announce that the State Attorney's Office and Mr. Limbaugh have reached an agreement whereby a single count charge of doctor shopping filed today by the State Attorney will be dismissed in 18 months. As a primary condition of the dismissal, Mr. Limbaugh must continue to seek treatment from the doctor he has seen for the past two and one half years. This is the same doctor under whose care Mr. Limbaugh has remained free of his addiction without relapse.
"Mr. Limbaugh and I have maintained from the start that there was no doctor shopping, and we continue to hold this position. Accordingly, we filed today with the Court a plea of 'Not Guilty' to the charge filed by the State.
"As part of this agreement, Mr. Limbaugh also has agreed to make a $30,000 payment to the State of Florida to defray the public cost of the investigation. The agreement also provides that he must refrain from violating the law during this 18 months, must pay $30 per month for the cost of "supervision" and comply with other similar provisions of the agreement.
"Mr. Limbaugh had intended to remain in treatment. Thus, we believe the outcome for him personally will be much as if he had fought the charge and won."
The actions taken today are as follows:
-- The State Attorney has filed a single charge of doctor shopping with the Court. The charge is being held in abeyance under the terms of an agreement between the State and Mr. Limbaugh.
-- Mr. Limbaugh has filed a plea of "Not Guilty" with the Court.
The formal agreement between Mr. Limbaugh and the State Attorney will be filed with the Court on Monday. The terms of the agreement are substantively as follows:
-- Mr. Limbaugh will continue in treatment with the doctor he has seen for the past two and one half years.
-- After Mr. Limbaugh completes an additional 18 months of treatment, the State Attorney has agreed to drop the charge.
-- Mr. Limbaugh has agreed to make a $30,000 payment to the State of Florida to defray the public cost of the investigation.
Very, very common form of plea bargaining. (It's called "deferred prosecution" in federal court). If you don't get in trouble for 18 months, the DA drops the charge; if you do something else during that time, you get hit with the new charge plus the old one.
The theory is that, on a minor charge, the most the judge would give you if you were convicted is probation. So the plea bargain gives something to both sides-- the DA gets to put you on probation, as if you were convicted, but you get the charge dropped at the end, instead of having a conviction on your record.
FNC reported the same thing
You're going to feel real silly once you read this thread.
Rush Limbaugh arrested on prescription drug charges
Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Rush Limbaugh was arrested Friday on prescription drug charges, law enforcement officials said.
Limbaugh turned himself in to authorities on a warrant issued by the State Attorney's Office, said Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for the State Attorney's Office.
The conservative radio commentator came into the jail at about 4 p.m. with his attorney Roy Black and bonded out an hour later on a $3,000 bail, Barbera said.
The warrant was for fraud to conceal information to obtain prescription, Barbera said.
Black said his client and authorities reached a settlement on a single count charge of doctor shopping filed Friday by the State Attorney will be dismissed in 18 months.
Prosecutors seized Limbaugh's records after learning that he received about 2,000 painkillers, prescribed by four doctors in six months, at a pharmacy near his Palm Beach mansion. They contend that Limbaugh engaged in "doctor shopping," or illegally deceived multiple doctors to receive overlapping prescriptions.
Limbaugh has not been charged and maintains he's innocent. He has acknowledged he became addicted to pain medication, blaming it on severe back pain, and took a five-week leave from his radio show to enter a rehabilitation program in 2003.
If you and I did what this prosecutor did, we'd be charged with extortion.
Both. First arrested (formally), then settled.
reading down the thread, it appears it was just a booking on the old charges. The media spun it outta control.
OK here is the quick and dirty --- Roy Black and prosecutor's arranged plea deal ... Prosecutor's filed charge ... Limbaugh surrendered (IE ARRESTED) ... Limbaugh plead not guilty ... JUdge accepted plea and deal ... Limbaugh posted bail and was released. End of story.
Provided Rush stays clean for the next 18 months.
IOW a media Much ado about nothing.
Err... Some reporter on WBAL....
Anger blurs the keys on the keyboard. ;p
Posted on Fri, Apr. 28, 2006
Rush Limbaugh arrested on prescription drug charges
Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Rush Limbaugh was arrested Friday on prescription drug charges, law enforcement officials said.
Limbaugh turned himself in to authorities on a warrant issued by the State Attorney's Office, said Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for the State Attorney's Office.
The conservative radio commentator came into the jail at about 4 p.m. with his attorney Roy Black and bonded out an hour later on a $3,000 bail, Barbera said.
The warrant was for fraud to conceal information to obtain prescription, Barbera said.
Black said his client and authorities reached a settlement on a single count charge of doctor shopping filed Friday by the State Attorney will be dismissed in 18 months.
Prosecutors seized Limbaugh's records after learning that he received about 2,000 painkillers, prescribed by four doctors in six months, at a pharmacy near his Palm Beach mansion. They contend that Limbaugh engaged in "doctor shopping," or illegally deceived multiple doctors to receive overlapping prescriptions.
Limbaugh has not been charged and maintains he's innocent. He has acknowledged he became addicted to pain medication, blaming it on severe back pain, and took a five-week leave from his radio show to enter a rehabilitation program in 2003.
According to somebody in Florida, this was Limbaugh's deal -- at his time. Not the DA's.
I love it when Rush talks about moraltiy and the War on Drugs now. I guess those things are fine as long as media elitists are exempt.
S/he's a disrupter...that's what s/he lives for. That's why.
It's doctor shopping.
He turned himself in, he has been released, all charges will be dropped in 18 months; with an overall payment of 30K to defray the state costs of persecuting him.
See post 96.
But let me add, I feel the hosts are entertainers with little grasp of history, economics, or the more subtle facets of the issues.
Also, let me add, I'm a very cranky guy when it comes to the media.
-PJ
Kind of like the 2000 elections...Same county.
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