Marlon Jones (the Deupty Fire Chief mentioned) had "a double-knee replacement in 2009 and had been dealing with chronic back pain since 2000. His three doctors prescribed different painkillers and muscle relaxers."[1] That was enough to get him charged for prescription fraud. That doesn't seem over-zealous to you?
Further, these are medical records. You know, things that we all get HIPAA notices for every time we go to a doctor. I have to go through a pain in the ass process every time I want to get two of my own doctors to talk. Police could just bypass that, without any probable cause (Feds still can).
Phone record searches require probable cause. Financial and personal records require probable cause. Prescription records? Wide open to the police to comb through any time they like.
As a person who has had different controlled substances prescribed by three doctors this year, this is frightening as hell.
As for Mr. Pyle, "Firefighter Ryan Pyle had also been dealing with chronic back pain, and after a five-day stint in the hospital for an infected tooth, was also prescribed painkillers on several occasions. Police saw these prescriptions in the database and charged Pyle with one felony count."[1]
The assumption of guilty until proven innocent (and he must be guilty if the police were looking at him, right?) is revolting. The ability of police to peruse records at a whim and destroy people's lives is even more so.
Further, these are medical records. You know, things that we all get HIPAA notices for every time we go to a doctor. I have to go through a pain in the ass process every time I want to get two of my own doctors to talk. Police could just bypass that, without any probable cause (Feds still can).
Phone record searches require probable cause. Financial and personal records require probable cause. Prescription records? Wide open to the police to comb through any time they like.
As a person who has had different controlled substances prescribed by three doctors this year, this is frightening as hell.
As for Mr. Pyle, "Firefighter Ryan Pyle had also been dealing with chronic back pain, and after a five-day stint in the hospital for an infected tooth, was also prescribed painkillers on several occasions. Police saw these prescriptions in the database and charged Pyle with one felony count."[1]
The assumption of guilty until proven innocent (and he must be guilty if the police were looking at him, right?) is revolting. The ability of police to peruse records at a whim and destroy people's lives is even more so.
1. http://www.kutv.com/news/features/local-news/stories/Utah-39...