United States Magistrate Judge David Baker refused to release Dr. Jesse Haggard at a detention hearing at the U.S. Courthouse in Orlando. Dr. Haggard has been detained without bail as a flight risk pending his transfer to Mobile, Alabama sometime in the next 10-14 days. Federal prosecutors argued that Haggard knew he was under federal investigation at the time he moved to Costa Rica and that Haggard knew he should have surrendered based on postings on his personal blog and legal documents he signed before he left. Magistrate Judge Baker was not influenced by defense arguments that Haggard voluntarily surrendered and therefore was not a flight risk.
The blockbuster revelation during court proceedings on Wednesday was that the federal government “hired” local news media to actively assist them with their investigation of Dr. Jesse Haggard and Revolution Medical Center. A source with knowledge of the court proceedings indicated that the government worked with television crews in Phoenix to conduct an undercover investigation to gather evidence against Haggard.
The television news station was not identified. Suggestions that the federal government has paid news organizations to conduct their steroid witch-hunt are highly disturbing.
The Utah Legislature has approved a bill that would allow naturopathic physicians to prescribe transdermal or buccal testosterone (but not injectable esters of testosterone). The “Hormone Restoration Amendments” (HB-108) passed the Utah Senate on March 9, 2009 and the Utah House on February 10, 2009. Placing the risks of testosterone in perspective, Rep. Paul Ray stated, “I’ve been married 17 years and too much estrogen scares me a heck of a lot more than testosterone.” Utah will become the fifth state to grant prescriptive rights for testosterone to naturopathic physicians when the bill is signed by Gov. Jon Huntsman. Utah joins Arizona, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington as the only other states where naturopathic physicians can prescribe testosterone (”Bill will allow naturopathic doctors to prescribe testosterone,” March 5, 2009).
The “Hormone Restoration Amendments” were opposed by the Utah Medical Association and the Utah Health System Pharmacy who expressed their antagonism towards compounding pharmacies during debates. The Utah Health Insurance Association was also concerned that the bill would force insurance companies to cover naturopathic physician-prescribed testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
The Utah Association of Naturopathic Physicians was well-informed and knowledgeable regarding testosterone and federal steroid laws. The representatives for the Utah Medical Association and the Utah Health System Pharmacy were not; their testimony was inaccurate and misleading with respect to steroid law and steroid side effects. The UMA sent a non-medical expert to present their case opposing the bill. Read more
