Federal prosecutors in the case of Haysville, Kansas, physician Dr. Steven Schneider and his wife, who were indicted for allegedly operating a "pill mill" by prescribing to pain patients, asked a federal judge last Friday for a gag order to keep Schneider and his supporters from making their case in the court of public opinion.
The case of the Schneiders has attracted the attention of pain treatment advocates critical of heavy-handed federal government attacks on pain doctors, including the Pain Relief Network. The network's leader, Siobhan Reynolds, has been instrumental in mobilizing Schneider's patients in support of their doctor and in opposition to the federal prosecution. Prosecutors sought a temporary injunction to bar Schneider, his wife, other family members, and PRN's Reynolds from talking to the media.
"We strongly oppose a gag order because we believe in the public's access to the justice system," defense attorney Lawrence Williamson told the court. "We think the request is overbroad and not supported by law at all." While prosecutors accused the defense of trying to taint the jury pool, Williamson said that was not the case. "We are often contacted by media to respond to allegations that are made by the government and if the public has questions to the allegations we should be able to respond to those within the rule," Williamson said.
Prosecutors had no problem with media coverage of the case when they trumpeted the arrests of Schneider and his wife back in December, and they remained quiet when local media ran stories supportive of the prosecution. But questions raised in the press by Reynolds and other supporters about the 34-count indictment of Schneider accusing him of a variety of crimes related to his prescribing of opioid pain medications have the feds seeking to silence their foes.
Prosecutors claimed Reynolds told a patient that if he was going to kill himself because of lack of access to pain medications, he should do it publicly -- a charge Reynolds angrily rejected, calling it "absolutely false."
"This is just a wild allegation," Reynolds said. "Basically it was put out there to try to smear me. The Pain Relief Network works very hard to try to stop the suicides going on across the country because of untreated pain, the epidemic of untreated pain," she told the Associated Press. "I'm shocked that the government would try to get a gag order against a political activist. I find that stunning."
"I find that stunning"
Welcome to the Orwellian police state that is the US.
It's not just "the matter with Kansas..."
Unfortunately, there is a sadistic crusade across the land to silence critics of government policy and activists.
Dr. Schneider is a convenient target due to his visibilty. Does Dr Kevorkain ring any bells?
There is no better way to suppress a dissenting view than to arrest an outspoken "enemy of the state," then publicize his prosecution in order to send shock waves of intimidation to less powerful, and more vulnerable, citizens sympathetic to his cause. Think the Holy Inquisition...
However, when the activist "retaliates" in the same media, the executive-branch attorneys run to a co-equal branch, a federal (tenured-for-life) judge for a gag order.
Depending on the judge's respect for the Constitution, the request may or may not be granted. Lately, guess who has been vetting and appointing federal judges???
Nothing like hiding behind the flag to flay one's perceived ideological enemies. Call me a cynic, but I am willing to bet the local U.S. Attorney is either bucking for a federal appointment, higher office or a judgeship. And Dr. Schneider will be the stuffed-head-on-the-wall to showcase _his_ "merit."
These mediocre bureaucrats make me gag. No court order needed for that.
?
Not only is this country #34 for quality of care and #1 in cost, it has become nearly impossible to find a doctor that will treat chronic pain. They are all so afraid of the jack booted thugs or have a moral/religious stick so far up their ass that they let people suffer.
Pain
This is what happens when you let politicians dictate what Dr.s can or cannot do. This sends a message to all other Dr.s saying, " you better watch out, this could happen to you"! But we "Sheeples", a borrowed name from South Park for the mindless masses, have allowed the government to get its fingers into health care: starting with DRG's. Don't worry, it will get worse before it gets better.......
First read this book and then take action
Smoke and Mirrors
The War on Drugs and the Politics of Failure.
by Dan Baum
Since When Has Our Government gone to Medical School?
It's pretty sad that we have not only turned this into a case where the federal government tells our Doctor's what they can write us for pain, how much they can write and then now they want this huge data base that we have to give our thumb print so that every Tom Dick and Harry Nationwide has the right to go to this database and fine out any info they want on any person. Now this doesn't stop with just Dr.'s trying to find pill seekers and do something with them, but anyone can look at this database. AND I DO MEAN ANYONE!!!! Not that I care what people look at about me, but why should my personal private information be public knowledge? This has gotten ridiculous. What about the Hepa Laws to protect us as patients and our rights to privacy? We just throw that away now all the sudden.
We have and yes people we have given our government way to much control in our lives, and I plan to fight this 100%. This is just absurd.
Sadistic government
The current mindset of the drug 'warriors' ( cowards all!! ) is that it is better that 100 patients suffer pain than for one addict to deceive a doctor. The treatment of pain in the US is medieval at best. People are told to 'cowboy up' learn to cope' or are sent to psychobabble biofeedback 'pain clinics' that do nothing. The DEA has gotten totally out of hand. They are practicing medicine without training or a license. If you are fortunate enough to find a doctor to treat your pain you'd better be perfect and not get 'red flagged'. The persecution of courageous doctors across the country is nothing short of a crime on a grand scale. The DEA seems to make up the rules as they go and are more interested in seizing the property of innocents than they are with stopping real criminals. As long as the DEA is in existence I will be ashamed to be an american!
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