Accused Physician Claims Drug Ring

By Keay Davidson

An Atlanta physician accused of prescribing dangerous drugs without good reason has claimed that corrupt police were behind the charges.

Dr. J. Dennis Jackson testified in a hearing Wednesday that police, fearing he had knowledge of a state drug ring linked to them, tried to bribe his patients to testify against him.

Hearing Officer Daniel Kleckly refused to admit affidavits from three witnesses that Jackson said would support his charge. State Assistant Atty. Gen. Melvin Goldstein argued they were "pure and simple hearsay" and irrelevant.

It was Jackson's second day of testimony before a state medical examiners' group. He is charged with prescribing Quaalude and Dexedrine without sound medical basis. If found guilty, he could lose his medical license

Jackson said in one case a policeman offered to drop a traffic charge against a patient in return for anti-Jackson testimony. The officer also proposed to see if a murder charge against the patient could be dropped, Jackson claimed.

Goldstein interrupted. "This is all just really getting out of hand and ridiculous."

He said Jackson's recitation of the alleged contents of the affidavits was hearsay. Kleckley upheld the objection.

Jackson said he had failed to locate the signers of the affidavits. One of them is "incarcerated somewhere," he said.

Jackson gave no details about the alleged drug ring run by state officials. He said his suspicions were aroused by the lack of response to letters, which he said he mailed to numerous drug control agencies, asking guidelines for prescribing such drugs for the increasing number of patients who were showing up at his office.

Only one official, the chief inspector at the State Drug Inspector Office, replied, said Jackson. Jackson said he felt the letter was a "snow job" because it was vague.

Goldstein objected when Jackson's attorney tried to put in evidence forms indicating Jackson's letters had been received by the drug agencies. The state's attorney accused Jackson of "trying to cover his hide" by mailing the letters after the offenses alleged against him took place.

Jackson, in one of his frequent talks with reporters during a break in the hearing Wednesday, told one that the alleged conspiracy against him is part of a nationwide drive to socialize medicine.

Jackson insisted he was one of the few Georgia doctors who checks a patient's height, weight, blood pressure and pulse at every visit. He said his aides had been trained to ask questions on previous allergies, illnesses and related subjects.

The state witnesses said they were never asked such questions.