Pubdate: Fri, 03 Jun 2005
Source: La Crosse Tribune (WI)
Copyright: 2005, The La Crosse Tribune
Contact:  http://www.lacrossetribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/229
Author: Dan Springer and Reid Magney
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?232 (Chronic Pain)

RUTH KAPANKE ARRESTED FOR PAIN PILL THEFT

The wife of Wisconsin state Sen. Dan Kapanke was arrested Thursday,
accused of stealing prescription painkillers to treat her chronic back
pain.

Ruth Kapanke, 58, took the drugs from the home of a friend she was
helping care for, said La Crosse County District Attorney Scott Horne.
She's a nurse at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, but wasn't caring
for the woman professionally, he said.

Sheriff's Capt. Jeff Wolf said he arrested Ruth Kapanke for possession
of a prescription drug without a prescription, possession of a
controlled substance and theft Thursday after questioning her about
missing painkillers.

She was released on her own recognizance and will appear in court June
17.

At an emotional press conference Thursday afternoon, Dan Kapanke said
Ruth "understands she has a problem and she's ready to deal with it."

"She started this because of a chronic back pain she's had for quite a
while," Dan Kapanke said. "I was aware of her situation from a few
years back with her back, but I wasn't aware she was using a
painkiller now."

"She feels like she's let a lot of people down, and that's not the
issue," he said, noting they've contacted her doctor about treatment.
"She will follow through, and the legal process will take its natural
course."

Ruth Kapanke is co-owner, with her husband, of the La Crosse Loggers
baseball team. She's a member of the French Island Beautification
Committee, and has worked for many years as a nurse. They have been
married 35 years and live in the French Island home where Ruth grew
up.

Dan Kapanke, a Republican, was elected to the 31st District state
Senate seat last November.

Horne, also a Republican, said Dan and Ruth Kapanke have cooperated
fully with investigators, and have asked for no special favors.

Because of a possible conflict of interest, Horne has asked
Trempealeau County District Attorney Jeri Marsolek to act as a special
prosecutor. Horne said he has worked on Dan Kapanke's campaigns and is
a friend of the couple.

While Marsolek is a former La Crosse County assistant DA, Horne said
he chose her because she doesn't live in Kapanke's district and
because she is a Democrat.

"It's an offense where normally the focus of the justice system would
be to deal with the addiction, given the fact that it did not involve
deliveries to other people and given the fact that Ruth is a
responsible person in life," Horne said. "But any decisions about the
case will be made by the special prosecutor."

La Crosse County Circuit Judge Dennis Montabon approved releasing Ruth
Kapanke on a signature bond, Horne said.

Horne said he hopes the case shows what otherwise responsible people
will do when they become addicted to prescription medication.

"I hope Ruth will get the help she needs in dealing with this," Horne
said. "And, perhaps more importantly, people who may be suffering from
an addiction to pain killers will see that the wife of a state senator
needs help in dealing with that addiction and that will encourage them
to seek the help they need."

Wolf said it is very common for his office to investigate cases where
people will forge prescriptions or steal drugs because they have
become addicted.

"It's not uncommon for everyday citizens, all the way up to
professional athletes like Brett Favre, to have a problem and admit to
it," Wolf said.

For more on this story, including Dan Kapanke's full statement, go to
www.rivervalleyblogs.com
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake