Well, it's going to trial.


Quote:

Limbaugh Rejected Plea Deal in Florida Case

MIAMI (Reuters) - Florida prosecutors said they had enough evidence to support more than 10 felony charges against conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, who is under investigation over allegations of doctor shopping for painkillers, according to legal documents released on Friday.

The documents, including letters between Limbaugh's lawyers and the chief prosecutor in Palm Beach County, also indicate authorities offered to settle the case by having Limbaugh plead guilty to doctor-shopping in return for a sentence of three years probation.


The proposal was made after an overture by Limbaugh, whose lawyers offered to have him enter a pretrial program where he would continue drug rehabilitation.


Limbaugh, who has not been charged, admitted in October to an addiction to prescription painkillers he took for back pain. He took five weeks away from his popular syndicated radio show, which has some 20 million listeners a week, to undergo addiction treatment.


According to the documents, released under a public records request from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Limbaugh's attorney Roy Black wrote to prosecutors on Dec. 11 and offered to settle a criminal probe into allegations Limbaugh illegally sought prescriptions from more than one doctor.


Black, who has accused prosecutors of treating his celebrity client differently from other drug addicts, proposed Limbaugh enter a pretrial program in which he would continue treatment and be monitored by a professional.


Under Black's proposal, no charges would be filed against Limbaugh, one of Limbaugh's lawyers said.


In his response, dated Dec. 15, Assistant State Attorney James Martz rejected Black's offer, saying it was "not an appropriate resolution of this matter."


Pharmacy records and material obtained by search warrants "indicate evidence that would support in excess of ten felony counts" for violations of doctor shopping statutes, Martz wrote.


He proposed Limbaugh plead guilty to a single count of doctor shopping. In addition to three years of probation, Limbaugh would be treated for addiction and submit to random drug testing. In return, the court would withhold a formal finding of guilt.


"Mr. Limbaugh never considered accepting the state's ludicrous offer. He was not going to plea to something he did not do," Black said in a written statement on Friday.


Black has accused prosecutors of ethics violations, including trying to discredit Limbaugh in the media and violating his privacy by seizing medical records illegally.



And here's the same story but with a bit more info on the plea deal. It's amazing the wording on both stories. In the Yahoo story, it leads to beleive based on the title that it was Limbaugh who rejected the pleas deal and not the prosecution. Who says Yahoo is "liberal"?

Lawyers reject deal from Limbaugh

"Drug use, some might say, is destroying this country. And we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs. And the laws are good because we know what happens to people in societies and neighborhoods which become consumed by them. And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up."
-- Rush Limbaugh. October 5, 1995 show transcript.
http://www.takebackthemedia.com/gophotwrush.html

Last edited by whomod; 2004-01-24 11:07 AM.