Rush Limbaugh arrested.

[Rex Kickass]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/28/linbaugh...t.ap/index.html

 

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (AP) -- Rush Limbaugh reached a settlement with prosecutors Friday in a fraud case involving prescription painkillers, though the conservative radio commentator maintains his innocence.

 

Limbaugh turned himself in to authorities about 4 p.m. on a warrant for fraud to conceal information to obtain a prescription, the first charge in the nearly 3-year-old case, said Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for the state attorney. He was released an hour later on $3,000 bail.

 

Limbaugh's attorney, Roy Black, said his client and prosecutors reached a settlement on a charge of doctor shopping.

 

Under the deal, Limbaugh would eventually see the charge dismissed in 18 months if he continues treatment for drug addiction, Black said.

 

Limbaugh also 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.

 

"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.

[Balta1701]

Yes, that's right, it's RUSH LIMBAUGH MUGSHOT TIME!

[Mplssoxfan]

He's smiling. I like that, since that's what I did when I was booked many years ago.

[Kyyle23]

that link doesnt take me to Rush Limbaughs mugshot, and when I click on Rush Limbaughs name under the Sherriffs office News, his picture isnt there either.

[Queen Prawn]

It says "for a picture of Limbaugh please visit www.pbso.org and click on booking blotter."

 

Enter his last name in the search and when his booking info comes up, click on Booking Number.

[Gregory Pratt]

I love it. f*** Limbaugh.

[Texsox]

[samclemens]

yawn

[Texsox]

An open letter to Mr. Hannity.

 

Please don't make me turn off my brain when I listen. Today you said

"This amounted to 40 pills, one prescription. If the prosecutor had more than this, this would be in front of a jury".

 

Mr. Hannity, if that was all Rush did, you are right, Rush would have insisted on this being in front of a jury. Somewhere between 2,000, the original allegation, and 40 is the truth. Rush didn't become addicted by only having access to the correct dosage that a single Pysician prescribed.

 

You claim Rush came forward, which was something we rarely see.

 

In reality Rush was like everyone else in this position. He came forward, and sought treatment *after* he was caught. I do not blame him for this. After all, he looks human in the pictures I see. So like everyone, from celebrity to no body, he came forward after he was caught.

 

You claim he was targeted because he's a conservative.

 

He was target because he is a celebrity. Whitney Houston is a crack whore, Spears abused her baby, Robert Downey and others have all received the same treatment by authorities and the press. Rush was attacked because Americans love to build up and tear down celebrities.

 

You repeated that Rush had a legitimate medical condition.

 

Rush's crime wasn't taking that medicine in the prescribed dose, his crime was finding four Doctors to all prescribe the medication and he took way over the amount. We have this law to protect people from themselves. Based on the fact that Rush did not seek treatment until he was caught, I believe this law worked. With his plead, he must continue treatment and testing, again, this should be for his benefit.

 

Bottom line a human was hooked on a dangerous and addictive drug. The medical and legal communities know the danger and put in laws to protect people from themselves. Like any addict, he did some things to feed his addiction which were illegal. He got caught. Like any celebrity, his legal and medical problems were played out for our base and voyeristic appetite.

[YASNY]

This is NOT a new problem for Rush. It's an offshoot of the doctor shopping thing from almost 3 years ago. This was negotiated and voluntary on Rush's part. He signed off the air on Friday, met his lawyer and went in to be booked. There is no jail time, no addmission of guilt, no probation. The drug test part is something that has been going on since his original arrest. If Rush keeps his nose clean for 18 months, the whole shebang is over.

[Texsox]

YAS, we both know he would not have pled if there wasn't some fire with all the smoke. I thought he did admit guilt, but much of what I know is from Hannity, and he was trying to create a martyr.

[kapkomet]

As usual, the truth is somewhere in the middle of the Hannity rant and the MSM.

[Rex Kickass]

This is NOT a new problem for Rush.  It's an offshoot of the doctor shopping thing from almost 3 years ago.  This was negotiated and voluntary on Rush's part.  He signed off the air on Friday, met his lawyer and went in to be booked.  There is no jail time, no addmission of guilt, no probation.  The drug test part is something that has been going on since his original arrest.  If Rush keeps his nose clean for 18 months, the whole shebang is over.

 

As far as I'm aware, he was only arrested once last week.

[Texsox]

As usual, the truth is somewhere in the middle of the Hannity rant and the MSM.

 

Exactly, I just feel sorry for people that hang onto Hannity's, or anyone's every word, and believed this hook, line, and sinker.

 

I was embarrased listening to Hannity. Rush is as human as they come. The truth is far better than Hannity's spin. The fact Rush became addicted to the most addictive pharmaceuticals made, shouldn't surprise anyone. His actions from the moment of addiction through yesterday is exactly what 99.9% of the population would have done. The only things unique to Rush and his profession is the Doctor's first choice, surgery through the vocal cords, doesn't seem like a great option to me either. The surgery that didn't, according to Hannity, provide the relief Rush was needing, happens to mortals as well.

 

At some point in the future I hope Rsh sends a nice check to the housekeeper who ratted him out, she may have saved his life. Along those lines, he may have benefitted from his role as America's conservative voice and the most powerful man in radio. If this was a Hollywood celeb type person, there wouldn't have been the public pressure to come clean. It seemed everyone in Hollywood knew Belushi was an addict, Do we really care that Whitney Houston is a crack whore*? But America cared that Rush was a druggie. His supporters prayed for him, his detractors also prayed, some perhaps not in a Christian way.

 

 

 

*tabloid stories

[YASNY]

I heard Rush say, no ... emphasize, that there was no admission of guilt.

[Texsox]

I heard Rush say, no ... emphasize, that there was no admission of guilt.

 

In a legal sense he didn't. So I guess you could believe he was not addicted, or just to perscription level amounts, never bought more than one Doctor would perscribed, attended rehab, and then accepted a fine, supervision, and all the other terms of the plea, because it would be best for everyone involved. Maybe Rush is the type of person that would accept all that instead of fighting baseless and untrue accusations to the finish. I sense otherwise.

 

I choose to believe that was a negotiation point which helps Rush down the road and doesn't hurt society. If the goal of these laws are to protect the person from themselves, admitting guilt in the legal sense doesn't make a difference.

[kapkomet]

BTW, the '40 pills' number came from the DA's office itself. That's interesting, isn't it?

[Texsox]

BTW, the '40 pills' number came from the DA's office itself.  That's interesting, isn't it?

 

That was what they agreed to. If that was all Rush thought the DA had, and he was not guilty, do you think he would have settled? Remember this was all negotiated, and I would hope the goal was to aid the individual in seeking help and keeping off the drugs.

[YASNY]

In a legal sense he didn't. So I guess you could believe he was not addicted, or just to perscription level amounts, never bought more than one Doctor would perscribed, attended rehab, and then accepted a fine, supervision, and all the other terms of the plea, because it would be best for everyone involved. Maybe Rush is the type of person that would accept all that instead of fighting baseless and untrue accusations to the finish. I sense otherwise.

 

I choose to believe that was a negotiation point which helps Rush down the road and doesn't hurt society. If the goal of these laws are to protect the person from themselves, admitting guilt in the legal sense doesn't make a difference.

 

Why do you have to try and put words in my mouth or tell me what I believe? This thread was presented like it was a new problem for Rush. I pointed out that it was a continuation of a what occoured over 2.5 years ago. I told what heard from the horses mouth. What is it about that which you have a problem with?

[kapkomet]

That was what they agreed to. If that was all Rush thought the DA had, and he was not guilty, do you think he would have settled? Remember this was all negotiated, and I would hope the goal was to aid the individual in seeking help and keeping off the drugs.

No it was NOT what it was agreed to. The DA said the original charge was over 40 pills, that had NOTHING to do with what was "agreed to" on Friday.

[Texsox]

I really don't care. It isn't that big a deal.

 

So as to not prolong this thread I will agree;

 

The rehab, the plea agreement, was all Rush trying to get this over quickly. He is a VICTIM of a politically motivated attack.

 

He's not guilty of anything. He only had an extra 40 pills.

[kapkomet]

I really don't care. It isn't that big a deal.

 

So as to not prolong this thread I will agree;

 

The rehab, the plea agreement, was all Rush trying to get this over quickly. He is a VICTIM of a politically motivated attack.

 

He's not guilty of anything.  He only had an extra 40 pills. 

See? Good for you. You're coming around.

[Balta1701]

No it was NOT what it was agreed to.  The DA said the original charge was over 40 pills, that had NOTHING to do with what was "agreed to" on Friday.

In that case, does that mean that there's some sort of a "40 pill dividing line" built into the law, where maybe it's more costly to do this sort of behavior a lot, and the plea agreement was that they'll only agree to have him settle on the lower pill level? Just guessing.

[kapkomet]

In that case, does that mean that there's some sort of a "40 pill dividing line" built into the law, where maybe it's more costly to do this sort of behavior a lot, and the plea agreement was that they'll only agree to have him settle on the lower pill level?  Just guessing.

 

You all are looking for a problem here when there isn't one. Imagine that.

 

He was charged for "doctor shopping". If one obtains a presecription from another doctor for the same medication in 30 days, whether it's 1 pill, 40 pills, or 2,000 pills, the law states you can't do it. Period. That was the charge he pled 'not guilty' to.

 

Can we stop this now?

 

/waiting for the 8,000 links that tell me I'm wrong.

[Balta1701]

You all are looking for a problem here when there isn't one.  Imagine that.

 

He was charged for "doctor shopping".  If one obtains a presecription from another doctor for the same medication in 30 days, whether it's 1 pill, 40 pills, or 2,000 pills, the law states you can't do it.  Period.  That was the charge he pled 'not guilty' to.

 

Can we stop this now?

 

/waiting for the 8,000 links that tell me I'm wrong.

Ok, I didn't have a clue what the law said in Florida, and honestly I don't care. I got a Limbaugh mug shot, he got the treatment he needed (we hope), and now everyone can move on.