Pubdate: Sat, 29 Apr 2006 Source: Palm Beach Post, The (FL) Copyright: 2006 The Palm Beach Post Contact: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/333 Author: Susan Spencer-Wendel, staff writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/rush+limbaugh LIMBAUGH TURNS HIMSELF IN FOR DOCTOR-SHOPPING WEST PALM BEACH -- Conservative talk show king Rush Limbaugh reported to jail Friday afternoon, charged with the rarely prosecuted crime of doctor-shopping, a felony. Limbaugh, booked and out of jail within an hour, will likely never have to darken the courthouse door or plead guilty to the crime, though. According to an agreement he is expected to sign Monday with the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office, Limbaugh will enter a common court diversion program where the charge will be totally dropped after 18 months. Limbaugh, an admitted prescription drug addict, must continue addiction counseling and take regular drug tests as part of the agreement. He pleaded not guilty to the crime -- a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison -- and posted the $3,000 bond. The specter of his criminal investigation -- looming since 2003 -- now over, Limbaugh felt a "great burden lifted from his shoulders," his attorney, Roy Black said at a press conference late Friday. "What he told me is, 'This is the first day of the rest of my life,' " Black said. Former housekeeper Wilma Cline triggered the investigation after telling prosecutors that she supplied Limbaugh with thousands of doses of OxyContin and other painkillers from 1998 to 2002. Investigators seized Limbaugh's medical records in 2003, igniting a legal battle all the way to the Florida Supreme Court arguing a right to privacy. The records were clearly used by prosecutors to piece together evidence for the charge, according to a court affidavit. In the affidavit, prosecutors lay out a timeline in 2003 when Limbaugh received pain medication from Jupiter doctors as well as a doctor in New York and a local ear specialist -- violating a standard drug agreement he made with his Jupiter doctors and violating the law. Money Laundering Task Force agents investigated his prescription and medical records. Jupiter Dr. Lawrence Deziel told investigators in January that he had no knowledge of Limbaugh receiving prescriptions from any other doctor besides a fellow one at the Jupiter Outpatient Surgery Center. As part of the agreement, Limbaugh will have to pay $30,000 to cover the costs of the investigation plus the $30 per month that people in the pre-trial intervention program normally have to pay. A spokesman for the state attorney's office said a minimum of information was included in the affidavit, just enough to support the charge. "The one single count does not reflect the totality of the evidence that we have," said spokesman Mike Edmondson. Black declined to respond to the comment, saying he did not know what the purpose of saying that was. Black emphasized that Limbaugh has not had any relapses since entering drug rehabilitation in October 2003 and that the law is not meant to punish addicts, but the people re-selling the painkillers on the streets. "The agreement... makes good common sense," Black said. "It is really unfair to prosecute them or make some sort of a big case out of it. The idea is to help the person overcome the addiction. "No one is suggesting Rush Limbaugh did anything to hurt anyone other than himself," Black said. Black repeatedly over the years raised questions on national talk shows about how Limbaugh could have doctor-shopped when two of his four doctors were in the same practice. Black was not including, though, the doctor in New York. Limbaugh decried the investigation to his millions of listeners as a political witchhunt headed by a Democrat, State Attorney Barry Krischer. For months and months, his Web site featured a link to click on to read about the state attorney's fishing expedition. That link was gone Friday, replaced by an announcement of the agreement with prosecutors. Within just a few hours of Limbaugh's arrest and release, the political blogosphere was abuzz with the news -- and dramatically different takes on it. "The Left Coaster," a liberal blog, greeted the news with this: "Raise yourself a cold one at the end of an interesting week. Rush Limbaugh turned himself in to the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office late today, and was arrested on a fraud charge related to prescription drug abuse." Not surprisingly, a blog called "The Conservative Trail Head" had this take: "Radio commentator, Rush Limbaugh was arrested on bogus charges this afternoon. These ridiculous charges are nothing but the left's attempt to smear Mr. Limbaugh's credibility as a conservative radio host." Limbaugh, 55, who has a home and office in Palm Beach, was not at the news conference Friday night. "I would imagine he's out celebrating," said another of his defense attorneys, Mark Shapiro. At least one attorney who's watched the case said it sounded like a good resolution for everyone. "It avoids a criminal conviction for Limbaugh and gives the state attorney some closure and allows him to resolve the case, " said Donnie Murrell. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin