Doctors License Hearing - State Questions Rehabilitation

By Alexis Scott Reeves

An attorney for the state told the state Board of Medical Examiners Thursday that it should not restore the medical license of a former East Point doctor who spent three years in prison after he was convicted of 21 felony charges in 1971.

Mel Goldstein of the state attorney general's office said that the conviction of Dr. Hugh S. Geiger Jr. of the felony charges is grounds for denying his application for restoration of his regular medical license.

The board revoked Geiger's license in October, 1970, after finding him guilty of four ethics violations, including giving women drugs in return for sex.

In 1971, Geiger was convicted in Fulton County Superior Court of 17 Counts of violating the Georgis Drug Abuse Control Act, two counts of violating the Uniform Narcotics Act, one count of forgery, one count of conspiracy to commit a crime and two misdemeanor counts for writing bad checks.

Goldstein also told the board that it should discount the testimony of several witnesses who testified Thursday and Friday that Geiger has been "rehabilitated" and should have his license restored.

Through his cross-examination of the witnesses, Goldstein showed that none of them knew the factual account of the hearing in which Geiger's license was revoked.

"The evidence indicates that none of the witnesses knew what happened, yet we have testimony that his license should be restored," Goldstein said.

Despite the objections of Geigers's attorney, Francis Stubbs, Goldstein entered the record of the license revocations hearing as evidence in this hearing.

Stubbs maintained that the record includes evidence that was illegally obtained from Geiger's office and that to reenter it as evidence would be retrying the same case.

However, Goldstein said the record is necessary for the board to make a determination.

At the conclusion of Friday's hearing, both attorneys said they would submit additional written testimony, as well as written closing arguments, within the coming weeks.