NEWHALL : Jury Deliberates Case Against Doctor
A San Fernando Superior Court jury Tuesday began deliberating whether a Newhall doctor illegally prescribed more than 5,000 pain pills to two patients over a six-month period.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Andrew R. Flier said in his closing arguments that Dr. Sandra Soho, 49, acted in total disregard for her patients’ safety when she prescribed the drugs between August, 1989, and February, 1990. Flier said Soho sought financial gain by having the patients make weekly office visits for new prescriptions.
However, Soho’s attorney, Alex J. Forgette, maintained that Soho did nothing illegal, but simply was acting in good faith to relieve the patients’ pain. Forgette argued that the patients filed complaints against Soho because they were angry that she refused to issue them more prescriptions.
Soho, known as Dr. Stanley Soho before a 1986 sex-change operation, is charged with two counts of prescribing controlled substances for other than medical purposes, two counts of prescribing drugs to an addict and a single count of issuing a false or fictitious prescription.
If convicted, Soho faces a maximum sentence of three years and eight months in prison.
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