Schneider Patients Claim Gov’t Harassment

Comment on: “Schneider Patients Claim Gov’t Harassment”; Alexander DeLuca; Pain Relief Network; 2008-03-23. Mostly regarding news item from KAKE (ABC) TV; 2008-03-21. Source and Video

Comment on and discuss this article on PRN’s Patient Forums

See also:
Guess Who Hit a Nerve? - 2008-03-07
DeLuca on ‘Feds Target Reynolds’ AP story

This is deeply disturbing. I urge everyone to view this TV news item from KAKE TV, Kansas.

The article, below, which accompanies the KAKE TV news item (see the video), reports charges of direct intimidation of pain patients by federal law enforcement, and ends with this vaguely reassuring paragraph:

“Meanwhile, former US Attorney Randy Rathbun, who is no longer associated with the office, says, ‘I don’t believe it. I doubt that is happening. That is simply not appropriate.’”

I just wish I could be so optimistically outraged, but given what I know, I am not at all surprised that this sort of “inappropriate” behavior on the part of federal police has been alleged.

Recently a Pain Relief Network member reported to me that she had been contacted by phone by a DEA agent who inquired about why she went out of state to see a physician for pain medication prescriptions. A week later she got a letter from the doc she traveled to terminating her care. I’d bet money this patient’s doc got a friendly call from the DEA to “talk to someone or to ask for something,” for which no warrant is needed according to the US Attorney’s Office (see below).

And this is the same federal government that is trampling all over the First Amendment rights of Siobhan Reynolds, the Pain Relief Network, and citizens of Kansas in pain. [See: Feds Target Pain Patient Group's President, Roxana Hegeman; Associated Press; 2008-03-07.]

So I guess I’m glad Former US Attorney Rathbun has denounced such aggressive drug war police tactics as applies to law-abiding chronic pain patients, and, presumably, their law-abiding physicians. Unfortunately, I think it is only outrageous or surprising because the media light is shining on Wichita, thanks to Siobhan Reynolds, and so the dirty business as usual is being reported.

This is just the Drug War coming home to roost, hardest upon our weakest fellow citizens. PRN keeps saying it - the cause of untreated and undertreated pain is a civil liberties issue and a civil liberties movement.

Full text KAKE-TV news item:

Former patients of a federally indicted Haysville doctor say they are being intimidated by the federal government.

Stephen and Linda Schneider, of Haysville, are behind bars facing federal charges of over-prescribing narcotic pain medications. The US Attorney is linking the couple to the overdose deaths of 56 patients.

Now several Schneider patients say federal agents are forcing their way into their homes without warrants, asking a lot of questions, and even taking items that don’t belong to them.

“They grabbed the door and jerked it open,” says one patient who spoke to KAKE News on a condition of anonymity. “And then they grabbed my left arm and pulled it up behind me. They said we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

This patient says the agents even took a hand written letter that Schneider wrote her from prison.

The US Attorney’s Office says they can’t comment on specific cases, but they say a warrant is required in order to search someone’s home or to force a person to hand over something that belongs to them. However, a warrant is not needed to talk to someone or to ask for something.

Meanwhile, former US Attorney Randy Rathbun, who is no longer associated with the office, says, “I don’t believe it. I doubt that is happening. That is simply not appropriate.”

[END]

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