Chronic Pain Forums of the Pain Relief Network (PRN)

"It is preposterous," Reynolds said of the government's allegations. "I think it reveals the Justice Department is overreaching in this case and in all the other cases (against doctors). I think this kind of attack is unprecedented."

Interesting development, thanks Alex.

[Note added later: The following has been blogged as Guess Who Hit a Nerve]

Well, I guess we've hit a nerve, huh?

I had to read it three times to figure out what good 'ole Tanya Treadway for the Fed thinks we did wrong here. I mean, it is clear that she is angry, and clearly wanted the opportunity to call Siobhan and the Schneiders names and get all the usual buzzwords in the paper - "parasitic", "pill mill" - but I think this is the beef:

Prosecutors contended the network and Reynolds may impair the defendants' ability to negotiate a pretrial resolution to the case because it would inhibit their efforts to use the Schneiders' criminal prosecution to keep their names in the media.

See, this is what it is about, why they are so blustery and angry, yet the content is just vague fluff. Federal prosecutors aren't used to having to FIGHT cases - they are much more expert at intimidating defendants by overwhelming them with the brute power of the DOJ.

Regular docs, for example, are indicted as drug racketeers and murderers, their assets seized before trial, jailed without bail, facing decades of jail time. And the defendants are supposed to go belly up while the lawyers come to a collegial plea agreement that allows the prosecutors to claim another kill and release another round of drug war propaganda, poisoning the public mind and getting us all set to play our parts as yahoos for the next intimidation. The defense attorneys collect their fees. Fed and State law enforcement share the forfeitured assets. The patients are abandoned. And the chilling effect on appropriate medical care intensifies. A perfect vicious cycle, and no one has to work up a sweat (except the invisible patients, of course, and the ruined doc).

And then Siobhan and her band of committed lawyers ride into town and screw up the morality play re-run. Now all of a sudden Tanya's thrown off her script. This isn't how she was taught these show-trials were supposed to play out. [Here is the playbook, BTW: The Drug War Prosecutors Cheat Sheet]

What is really important, Friends, is that these recent articles are being picked up by international media - USA Today, New York Times, Newsweek, etc, and this means that these news outfits are setting up to follow the story. We've broken through! These are really just set up articles, I think. And each round they'll dig one layer deeper, and State and Fed agencies will be increasingly called on to explain themselves and their roles in creating, maintaining, intensifying and profiting from the worsening crisis of untreated and undertreated pain in America. I for one will welcome some media attention focused in this direction, for a change.

Each round the State and Fed get squeezed and they are not used to it. They won't like it. Tough.

hope_6@cox.net wrote:

wow alex,not sure i understand what this means for any of us, or all of us . and all you guys helping out . siobion, ect. just how much worse does this make all this or does it..or worse for them ..im lost on this one,doesnt sound to good though..? hope:R

The loss, hope, is that they refused to hear our EMERGENCY temporary restraining order, which was mostly about asking for several forms of "relief" that would have enabled us to reopen the clinic and stabilized the patients on their regimens, get their charts back, and avert a whole hell of a lot of misery and probably worse. Those arguments never got heard - the patients were denied a hearing. The "damn Yankees with no standing" card was a delaying tactic they could play, so they played it. [See Group's Suit in 'Pill Mill' Case Dropped - AP; New York Times; 2008-03-06]

Now they are trying to make us go away by smearing us. It won't work, we will press our cases, and the world will have an opportunity to watch. This is just legal maneuvering by people who would like everyone to believe that PRN is just making all this up, that you patients are in the best medical system in the world, and if you are having problems finding doctors it is because you are junkie slime.

It is a tragic waste of time.

Well, well, well, I just kept hearing the voice of an old friend in the back of my mind as I read this post from Doc Alex.  My friend was a hardcore, criminal defense attorney who handled death penalty cases. Often, his clients never paid him.  However, the judges who ruled against him time after time in court, came calling when their kids got busted for drug possession.  They knew that he was the best and in their time of need, they wanted him.  He charged them big bucks and used the money to help his poor clients, who were facing Murder 1 death penalties and could not afford a competent attorney.

One of the first things my friend taught me was that prosecuters, especially those who  he referred to as "mean spirited prosecuters",  are generally nowhere near as strong in court, even if the rulings are going their way, as are good defense attorneys. Prosecuters like to intimidate the accused by keeping them in jail for extended periods of time, even though no conviction has yet been made, by freezing and/or seizing assets, by using the tried and true method of snitches, who will lie and say anything to shorten and/or get their own sentences dismissed by "cooperating",  by hypercharging and by using a bag full of other very dirty tricks.  Prosecuters don't want to go to court. They want the plea deal, always.  It's a win for them, they will publicize it, it's cheaper and easier, and the prosecutors, the DEA and the DOJ will all go home happy and sleep well.

Imagine the Kansas prosecuters annoyance and dismay when PRN showed up, and engaged in perfectly legal actions that threatened to interfere with their long enjoyed free reign to extort the worst plea deals from the most innocent people.  Prosecuters having to go to court and possibly face a protracted trial?  I gurantee you that prosecutorial panties were in a twist all over the country about that one.  Good.

How dare PRN suggest such a thing?  Then, of course, the lies, the slander, and the uttterly baseless, personal accusations made directly against Siohban Reynolds were brought on.   I really had to laugh when they used "sycophant" and "parasitic" because those are the exact same words that I have been using to describe malicious proscutors for years. Siobhan Reynolds did not attempt to act as a lawyer, she only offered an opinion.  Licensed J.D.s handled the cases.  Can we no longer even express an opinion?  Oh yes we can. In fact, we can't and won't shut up.  Get used to it DEA, DOJ, and mean spirited prosecutors everywhere, because more and more unpleasantness will be coming your way every day.  Perhaps medication will help you, but if you are afraid of becoming an "addict",  just triple up on the alcohol and the smokes.  They're legal so they won't hurt you, just relax and enjoy.

tabt