GREEN BAY – Dr. Charles Szyman, a Manitowoc doctor accused of over-prescribing narcotic medications, was found not guilty of all charges by a jury Friday afternoon.
“I think what this verdict ultimately proves is that the United States government’s attempt to scapegoat and paper over the opioid crisis by blaming doctors who are just trying to do their job for people who are suffering from pain, that’s not going to work,” said Beau Brindley, lead counsel for Szyman’s defense.
During a five-day trial in the United States District Court of Eastern Wisconsin, prosecutors tried to prove Szyman, through his pain clinic with Holy Family Memorial, prescribed narcotics outside the scope of normal medical practices.
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“We do not go after doctors and blame them for a bigger problem, as opposed to actually deal with and treat that problem,” Brindley said. “Dr. Szyman worked hard to take care of his patients for years and years and years, and this jury validated that.”
Both sides gave their closing arguments for the case Friday morning before the jury started its deliberations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Jacobs began his statement with a list of quotes heard from Szyman during a recording of Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Greg Connor’s appointments with Szyman.
“Don’t tell me what you don’t want, tell me what you want,” Szyman said during the February 2014 appointment.
Jacobs said that quote, and similar ones, showed Szyman’s attitude toward prescribing narcotics was flippant, at best.
“He (Szyman) is the gatekeeper between the patients and narcotics,” Jacobs said.
According to Jacobs, Szyman failed his duty to protect his patients when he prescribed them ever-increasing doses of narcotics without understanding the source of the patients’ pain and properly monitoring their use.
Jacobs went through the records of each of Szyman’s patients brought to the stand during the course of the trial. He pointed out that all of them were prescribed high doses of narcotics despite many of them showing signs of overuse, addiction and diversion.
Brindley began his defense of Szyman by pointing out that the case is not about medical malpractice, not about negligence, but was a criminal case.
“They are not calling Charles Szyman a doctor, they are calling him a criminal,” Brindley said.
According to Brindley, Szyman acted in good faith and truly believed he was prescribing appropriate amounts of medication to address the debilitating pain many of the patients complained of.
“What was Dr. Charles Szyman’s terrible crime?” Brindley asked. “It comes down to one thing: he trusted his patients too much. Trusting too much is not a crime.”
He also said there was no reason for Szyman to knowingly give patients more narcotics than they needed. He said Szyman did not profit from giving out prescriptions for narcotics and he didn’t receive any kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies for pushing drugs patients didn’t need.
“Where is the bad faith?” Brindley asked. “I’m not talking about if he should have been more skeptical. I’m talking about bad faith, bad intention.”
Szyman’s trial began Nov. 13 in the United States District Court of Eastern Wisconsin. He was indicted for 19 counts of drug trafficking for allegedly over-prescribing narcotic medications June 2016 and pleaded “not guilty” to each of the charges later that month.
The indictment, dated June 21, 2016, stated Szyman “knowingly and intentionally distributed unlawfully, and attempted to distribute and dispense unlawfully, a controlled substance outside of his professional practice and not for a legitimate reason.”
Szyman is also facing a wrongful deaths lawsuit with Holy Family Memorial in Manitowoc County Circuit Court. The lawsuit, filed Oct. 4, 2016, alleges Szyman caused the deaths of Heidi Buretta, Monica Debot, Mark Gagnon and Alan Eggert through his practice and prescription of narcotics.
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psssss,,,fyi,,I called this lawfirm very early this am,,,left a very very brief message of THANKS,,,, for helping us,,thru getting the truth out in a court of law.Notice,,it is a Illinois’ attorney,,NOT a Wisconsin attorney.I know exactly where this attorney’s office is..It is a part of Chi-town,,,known for pumping out excellent attorneys, The Business District for all of Chicago,,Lots of Old Buildings, awesome architect, cool area,,For showing Chicago’s historic business’s,,jmo,,maryw
Good news for once! I hope Dr Tennant is exonerated as well. It will give Pain Managers hope that they can help people without fear of going to jail.
I posted on the actual online paper as well,,Not showing up yet,,but I agree Gail,,,finally,,,,,truth and informed consent was honored in a court of law,,,,and thee proper verdict was obtained,,Hopefully Dr.Tennant can get the same type of attorney’s,,maryw
Pssss..Mr.Arians,,,if u know Dr Tennants email,,maybe very useful for him right now,,The truth was allowed in this court room,,somehow these lawyers got the truth allowed,,Dr.Tennant may need the same,,,just thinken out loud,,,maryw
EXCELLENT,, thank u,,,,,,mary