Limbaugh Surrenders to Police on Drug Charges

[oc80tn]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Rush Limbaugh was arrested Friday on prescription drug charges, with his attorney saying he has reached a deal with prosecutors that will eventually see the charges dismissed if he continues treatment for drug addiction.
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 left an hour later after posting $3,000 bail, Barbera said. The warrant was for fraud to conceal information to obtain prescriptions, Barbera said.
Black said his client and prosecutors reached a settlement on a charge of doctor shopping filed Friday by the State Attorney, which Black said will be dismissed in 18 months if Limbaugh complies with court guidelines. As a primary condition of the dismissal, Limbaugh must continue to seek treatment from the doctor he has seen for the past 2 1/2 years, Black said.
Limbaugh entered a plea of not guilty in court Friday on the charge and Black maintained his client's innocence.
"Mr. Limbaugh and I have maintained from the start that there was no doctor shopping, and we continue to hold this position," Black said in an e-mailed statement.
Prosecutors began investigating Limbaugh in 2003 after a tabloid newspaper reported that his housekeeper said he had used her to illegally buy painkillers. He soon took a five-week leave from his radio show to enter a rehabilitation program.
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 contended that Limbaugh engaged in "doctor shopping," or illegally deceived multiple doctors to receive overlapping prescriptions.
Limbaugh acknowledged he became addicted to pain medication, blaming it on severe back pain.
According to Black, Limbaugh also has agreed to make a $30,000 payment to the state 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.

[oc80tn]

I lost a lot of respect for Rush Limbaugh after his drug problems came to light. Not because he had a problem with pain pills, but because he showed his hypocrisy on the issue. For years, Rush had levied for severe jail sentences for pushers and users and didn't show any kind of compassion for people that suffered from drug dependency. It was one issue with which I did not agree with him.
Even so, I still maintain that it is pure bullshit that the Florida prosecutors are going after him on such a stupid legality. Doctor Shopping? What the hell is that? Yeah, I know what it is, but is that really something that needs to be prosecuted? Don't think so! It's pretty obvious that this case is politically motivated.
I know a lot of you are going to say he should get what's coming to him. But keep this in mind. If you think they should throw the book at him, then you gotta hold the same for everyone else. I am not a Republican, nor a Damn Democrat (probably closer to Republican). I am a Libertarian. In other words, I say, "leave your money alone, take all the heroin you want...good luck with it!"
Scary to think that in America you can get arrested for something as petty as Doctor Shopping. Give me a break!
I've said my peace...

[albert7]

I lost a lot of respect for Rush Limbaugh after his drug problems came to light. Not because he had a problem with pain pills, but because he showed his hypocrisy on the issue. For years, Rush had levied for severe jail sentences for pushers and users and didn't show any kind of compassion for people that suffered from drug dependency. It was one issue with which I did not agree with him.
Even so, I still maintain that it is pure bullshit that the Florida prosecutors are going after him on such a stupid legality. Doctor Shopping? What the hell is that? Yeah, I know what it is, but is that really something that needs to be prosecuted? Don't think so! It's pretty obvious that this case is politically motivated.
I know a lot of you are going to say he should get what's coming to him. But keep this in mind. If you think they should throw the book at him, then you gotta hold the same for everyone else. I am not a Republican, nor a Damn Democrat (probably closer to Republican). I am a Libertarian. In other words, I say, "leave your money alone, take all the heroin you want...good luck with it!"
Scary to think that in America you can get arrested for something as petty as Doctor Shopping. Give me a break!
I've said my peace... man doctor shoping got me 18 mounths in the joint ya this is the home of the brave the land of the free ha ha ha first time in the joint ended up getting pain pills from the doctor in the joint i just dont get it .

[ZodiacKiller]

man doctor shoping got me 18 mounths in the joint ya this is the home of the brave the land of the free ha ha ha first time in the joint ended up getting pain pills from the doctor in the joint i just dont get it .

What don't you get? Doctor shopping is a felony in a lot of states. Doctors will treat you for pain, even in jail. Plus I'm pretty sure it'd be kinda hard to Dr. shop on the inside....

[Zoop]

He won't do any time. He will be mandated by the court to complete such-and-such amount of drug treatment, and he'll have to pay a fine, I bet. But, I think you're right, Mr. "OC," it's definitely a politically motivated hit. Those commie-lib pinko Democrats hate him.

I have been a litte un-enthusiastic about being a conservative lately, due to the completely lackluster performance our President and Congress have been providing. But, shit, I'd still take them over the alternative any day. All you Democrat/Liberal opiophiles should be glad because your guys are going to take over Congress this November, unless we get a miracle. Most Republican/Conservative types are going to vote for "moderate" Dems or just stay home. I will still vote the party line, though, because I am a knucklehead.

Anyone who thinks the USA isn't the home of freedom should go live in or just freakin' READ about conditions in other countries. We are waaaaaay better than any other place on the planet and you can bank on that/put it in your syringe and shoot it, or put it in your pipe and smoke it, or whatever. The only places that come close are Australia, Canada and the UK, and they are not even that close, really.

[skeletontea]

I am in awe of Rush's hypocrisy. The sad part is, such a high profile case may make it harder for docs to prescribe pain medication.


[SIZE=2]I have been a litte un-enthusiastic about being a conservative lately, due to the completely lackluster performance our President and Congress have been providing. But, shit, I'd still take them over the alternative any day. All you Democrat/Liberal opiophiles should be glad because your guys are going to take over Congress this November, unless we get a miracle. Most Republican/Conservative types are going to vote for "moderate" Dems or just stay home. I will still vote the party line, though, because I am a knucklehead.

I'd rather see a mixture of Conservatives and Liberals in charge of the various branches of our government. Every time a Democrat is elected president he fucks up somehow, and as a result many people think "Whoa, I don't want a repeat of this, better elect a Republican next time." And of course he fucks things up even worse, so people start thinking, "Why the hell did I vote for this jackass? Come next election, I'm voting for the Democratic party." And the cycle continues!

I guess the one thing libs and cons have in common is they both seem to want it all. No one seems to want even one branch of government to go to the "opposition." If we had more balanced representation, no one would be ecstatic about our government, but it is likely that no one would be completely despondent for the next 8 years either.

[ZodiacKiller]

The sad part is, such a high profile case may make it harder for docs to prescribe pain medication.

Oh, for sure this is true, good post! Every time some politician/DA/law-enforcement-bigwig/whatever asshole sees a high profile case such as this and wants to further his career/make a bigger name for himself, he's gonna go after the prescribing docs or the drug company or whatever. Regulating legislature, FDA investigations, shit, I even read one source a while back calling for outright abolishment of the manufacture of the drug itself.

The draconian drug laws in this country seem to get more harsh and controlling all the time. In this "enlightened" age in which we live, you'd think the focus would be on tolerance, education, and treatment, but it is a sad fact that we are going in the opposite direction. Funny, 'cause we here in the US have all the best drugs, yet European countries are light years ahead of us in reversing the negative stigma of drug addiction/abuse.

War On Drugs...pffft. More like war on our own citizens.

[Opiyum]

Vomitus Maximus

[Paregoric Kid]

I'm not a fan of Rush Limbaugh, but the public could learn something from this story; which is, anyone in any position in society, from the most succesful person to the bum on the streets can become an addict and that an addict is usually an otherwise lawabiding citizen.

[oc80tn]

There is another option in regards to how to vote. Vote Libetarian. Yeah, we get labeled as fringe and sometimes even cookburgers, but go to lp.org and see if you don't end up agreeing with the party principles. Maximum personal freedom with maximum personal responsibility. If you ruin your life with H or Blow or whatever, it's your problem, not a felony! Decriminilization of narcotics in this country would empty the jails and prisons, reduce crime and free up our courts to deal with a lot more important problems like child and spousal abuse, etc. VOTE LIBERTARIAN!

[defenestrate]

i voted pretty much straight LP in 2004 and in 1996 (in 2000, i was working 2 hours away from where i was registered, so i didn't end up voting). i don't think the libs have everything right, but i think that aside from concerns about corporate power, i agree with them almost across the board.

[Paregoric Kid]

I'm a registered libertarian and a memeber of the party as well. their philosophy is in total agreement with my own. interefing in the free market is infringment on personal freedom and only causes problems for everyone so why control corporations?

[exitwound]

Oh, for sure this is true, good post! Every time some politician/DA/law-enforcement-bigwig/whatever asshole sees a high profile case such as this and wants to further his career/make a bigger name for himself, he's gonna go after the prescribing docs or the drug company or whatever. Regulating legislature, FDA investigations, shit, I even read one source a while back calling for outright abolishment of the manufacture of the drug itself.
The draconian drug laws in this country seem to get more harsh and controlling all the time. In this "enlightened" age in which we live, you'd think the focus would be on tolerance, education, and treatment, but it is a sad fact that we are going in the opposite direction. Funny, 'cause we here in the US have all the best drugs, yet European countries are light years ahead of us in reversing the negative stigma of drug addiction/abuse.
War On Drugs...pffft. More like war on our own citizens.

Damn straight!