Dr not charged - I wonder if this makes channel sucking 9!

[copobo]

sign 'em up Docs!

DA refuses to charge MD with illegal distribution in medical marijuana sting - News - Aurora Sentinel

AURORA | The lawyer for an Aurora doctor arrested last month amid accusations he gave out bogus medical marijuana recommendations said the doctorâ??s only mistake was believing two undercover Aurora police officers who lied to him.

Dr. Manuel Aquino-Villaman was arrested in early July after police say he gave medical marijuana recommendations to two undercover police officers who shouldnâ??t have qualified.

Robert Corry, the Denver lawyer representing Aquino-Villaman, called the case against the doctor â??meritlessâ?� and said the officers â?? one who had plates in his head from a serious motorcycle crash â?? should, in fact, qualify for a medical marijuana card under Colorado law.

â??Different doctors have different opinions, itâ??s a subjective determination that a physician has to make based on trusting his patient,â?� Corry said. â??That was Dr. Aquinoâ??s only mistake, trusting what somebody who purported to be a patient told him. As we know now the police were lying to Dr. Aquino.â?�

According to an arrest affidavit filed against Aquino-Villaman, two separate Aurora police officers went to Aquino-Villamanâ??s office undercover to obtain medical marijuana recommendations, the first in February and the second in April.

In the first visit, the officer told Aquino-Villaman that he had been in a motorcycle accident 10 years ago and had two metal plates inserted in his head because of injuries from the crash.

The officer said he never told the doctor he was in pain because of the crash.

In the second case, an officer told Aquino-Villaman that he had been run over by a tractor and sustained abdominal and facial injuries.

Again, the officer didnâ??t say he was in pain because of the crash, but he did say he had ringing in his ears.

Aquino-Villaman wrote medical marijuana recommendations for both officers, citing pain as the reason.

Neither officer received marijuana at Aquino-Villamanâ??s clinic, though the first officer tried to.

Both officers recorded the doctorâ??s visits on hidden microphones and the first paid $125 for the consultation. It wasnâ??t clear from the affidavit if the second officer paid.

Corry said Aquino-Villaman acted appropriately when he recommended medical marijuana for the two officers.

â??The officers went in and said they were suffering from medical conditions, asked for a medical marijuana recommendation and Dr. Aquino, who denies people who ask for these on a regular basis, believed what these officers were telling him, which was his only mistake,â?� Corry said.

In July, police arrested Aquino-Villaman on two charges: conspiracy to contribute marijuana and attempting to influence a public servant, both felonies.

When prosecutors got the case, they didnâ??t pursue the distribution charge, instead charging Aquino-Villaman with attempting to influence a public servant, namely the director of the stateâ??s medical marijuana registry, and with forgery, alleging he falsified the medical marijuana recommendation.

A spokeswoman for the Arapahoe County District Attorneyâ??s Office said Tuesday she couldnâ??t discuss why prosecutors opted not to file the distribution charge that police had sought.

Corry said the marijuana distribution charge was unwarranted in the first place.

â??There was no marijuana that changed hands, Dr. Aquino never possessed it so I think that charge made no sense and apparently the prosecutors agreed,â?� he said.

Aquino made his first court appearance last month, at which a judge granted his request to leave the state while he is free on $6,000 bond.

He is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 20 for a disposition hearing.

Corry said Aquino-Villaman has never been in trouble with the law before and is taking the case very seriously, something he said all doctors in Colorado who make medical marijuana recommendations should be doing.

â??This is really a full-frontal attack on every single doctor in Colorado who advises patients to use medical marijuana,â?� he said. â??Every single doctor in the state of Colorado should be taking notice of this, which is probably their intent, to scare doctors away from this medical specialty and intimidate them and thus decrease patient access to medical marijuana.â?�

Aquino-Villaman did not return a message left at his east Denver home last week seeking comment.

A spokesman for Aurora police also did not return a call seeking comment late Friday.

copobo Reviewed by copobo on 08-16-2010. Dr not charged - I wonder if this makes channel sucking 9! sign 'em up Docs! DA refuses to charge MD with illegal distribution in medical marijuana sting - News - Aurora Sentinel AURORA | The lawyer for an Aurora doctor arrested last month amid accusations he gave out bogus medical marijuana recommendations said the doctorâ??s only mistake was believing two undercover Aurora police officers who lied to him. Dr. Manuel Aquino-Villaman was arrested in early July after police say he gave medical marijuana recommendations to two undercover police Rating: 5

[PolishPotFarmer]

Good for him. The couple times I met him he was really a nice guy.

[Zedleppelin]

He is still being charged with attempting to influence a public servant and forgery, correct?

[FlyinPolynesian]

He is still being charged with attempting to influence a public servant and forgery, correct?

Itʻs funny how if this were an actual MMC how it would be all over every local media outlet and they wold be deemed evil corruptors of the MMJ HB-1284 or what other bullshit they can come up with. Yet this doctors only issue was being fooled by 2 cops...... what a crock of HORSESHIT!!!

[valstar]

I was shocked to read the name of the doctor involved. This is my doctor. I think i will be finding another doctor. Even if he is not charged there was a reason they targeted him. That makes me very uncomfortable knowing that if he gets charged now or some time in the future that it may call into question is my card going to be revoked if hes found guilty.

He very well may be innocent but is it worth the risk to stay with him if hes being targeted by the cops. If they look long and hard enough they will find some thing eventually.

Now if i am wrong some one please correct me.:thumbsup:

[denverbear]

I was shocked to read the name of the doctor involved. This is my doctor. I think i will be finding another doctor. Even if he is not charged there was a reason they targeted him. That makes me very uncomfortable knowing that if he gets charged now or some time in the future that it may call into question is my card going to be revoked if hes found guilty.

He very well may be innocent but is it worth the risk to stay with him if hes being targeted by the cops. If they look long and hard enough they will find some thing eventually.

Now if i am wrong some one please correct me.:thumbsup:

he's my Dr. too but I will not redo my card until it expires.

[Zedleppelin]

I was shocked to read the name of the doctor involved. This is my doctor. I think i will be finding another doctor. Even if he is not charged there was a reason they targeted him. That makes me very uncomfortable knowing that if he gets charged now or some time in the future that it may call into question is my card going to be revoked if hes found guilty.

He very well may be innocent but is it worth the risk to stay with him if hes being targeted by the cops. If they look long and hard enough they will find some thing eventually.

Now if i am wrong some one please correct me.:thumbsup:

They targeted him because he was in Aurora and I suspect because of him not being a natural born citizen. I've worked with this doctor and a few others and he is no more shady than the rest of them.