U.S. District Judge Monti Belot on Tuesday denied defense motions to dismiss an indictment against a Haysville physician accused of illegally prescribing painkillers whom it linked to 56 overdose deaths.

Belot ruled against nearly every pretrial motion made by defense attorneys for Stephen Schneider and his wife, Linda.

Belot did not buy the defense's contentions that federal drug law is unconstitutional because it infringes on the Schneiders' First Amendment rights as medical practitioners, and on the rights of their patients. He also said the statute is not unconstitutionally vague.

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