Source: https://duiorangecountylawyer.com/Doctors-DUI-Charges.html
Timestamp: 2018-07-21 17:36:47
Document Index: 439479817

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 802', '§2234', '§2239', '§ 2227', '§ 239', '§ 2239', '§ 1361', '§ 1357', '§ 2236', '§ 802', '§ 2236']

Doctors DUI Charges, Physicians DUI Charges, DUI Doctors Board
Physicians in California are regulated by the California Medical Board. Reporting requirements for Doctors can be found in Section 802.1 of the California Business and Professions Code which provides:
Bus. & Prof. Code, § 802.1. (a) (1) A physician and surgeon, osteopathic physician and surgeon, a doctor of podiatric medicine, and a physician assistant shall report either of the following to the entity that issued his or her license:
Failure to report to the Board carries a separate and distinct action independent of another action the Board may take and could lead to the issuance of a Citation which if sustained, will not only be published on the Boards Disciplinary Web Site but also result in the issuance of a fine. The public notice of the citation links to a page that details the nature of your conviction even though the Citation is deemed to be a “Private” sanction.
Remember, the Board receives information from the Department of Justice for any arrest of a licensed physician in California. [Remember the fingerprints you were required to provide]
Business & Professions Code §2234 empowers the Division of Medical Quality of the Medical Board of California to discipline physicians who are convicted of crimes that constitute “unprofessional conduct.”
Bus. & Prof. C. §2239, which defines alcohol and drug-related offenses as “unprofessional conduct,” reads:
The Medical Board of California has authority to discipline a licensed physician for unprofessional conduct. Bus. & Prof. Code, § 2227. As a form of unprofessional conduct, Bus. & Prof. Code, § 239(a) identifies the use of alcoholic beverages “to the extent, or in such a manner as to be dangerous or injurious to the licensee, or to any other person or to the public, or to the extent that such use impairs the ability of the licensee to practice medicine safely....”
In Watson v. Superior Court (2009) 176 Cal.App.4th 1407, the physician was arrested in 2000 for a DUI with a BAC of 0.08% which was dismissed. In 2003 he rear-ended a vehicle with a 0.06% BAC, but no charges were filed. In 2004 he was involved in an accident with PAS results of 0.087 & 0.081 and an evidential test of 0.07%. In 2005 he was again arrested for DUI but not convicted because he had a BAC of 0.06%. Notwithstanding the lack of convictions, the Court held that the Board was justified in imposing discipline based on four incidents in which he drove a vehicle after drinking under circumstances that posed a danger to himself or others.
Bus. & Prof. Code, § 2239 has been upheld to provide for physician discipline resulting from a DUI conviction. Griffiths v. Superior Court (2002) 96 Cal.App.4th 757 (more than one misdemeanor conviction involving alcohol consumption has a logical connection to the fitness to practice medicine).
Title 16, Cal. C. of Regs., § 1361, reads:
In reaching a decision on a disciplinary action under the Administrative Procedure Act (Government Code section 11400 et seq.), the Division of Medical Quality of the Medical Board of California shall consider the disciplinary guidelines entitled “Manual of Disciplinary Guidelines and Model Disciplinary Orders” (8th Edition/1999) which are hereby incorporated by reference. Deviation from these guidelines and orders, including the standard terms of probation, is appropriate where the Division of Medical Quality of the Medical Board of California in its sole discretion determines by adoption of a proposed decision or stipulation that the facts of the particular case warrant such a deviation—for example: the presence of mitigating factors; the age of the case; evidentiary problems.
These disciplinary guidelines are from the Medical Board of California (see Appendix A, “Medical Board of California”).
A treatment program may be ordered in connection with a physician’s discipline for alcohol or drug abuse. The program’s requirements are set forth in Title 16, Cal. C. of Regs., §§ 1357 et seq.
Bus. & Prof. Code, § 2236 mandates that prosecutors immediately notify the Medical Board of the pendancy of a misdemeanor or felony prosecution and that the court clerk notify the Medical Board of a physician’s conviction for a felony or misdemeanor offense within 48 hours after conviction. A physician must report in writing to the Medical Board any pending felony charge, and any misdemeanor or felony conviction, within 30 days. Failure to do so is a separate criminal offense with a minimum $5,000.00 fine. Bus. & Prof. C. § 802.1.
Doctors have their medical licenses inactivated during any period of incarceration, and this inactivated status (and the reason for it) is posted on the Board’s website. This applies to both felonies and misdemeanors. Bus. & Prof. Code, §§ 2236.1 (felonies) and 2236.2 (misdemeanors).
MEDICAL STUDENTS FACING DUI CHARGES
A conviction or plea of not contest for any misdemeanor must be disclosed on any application for admission to Medical School and on any application for Internships and Residences. Obviously these questions must be answered honestly but there are many situations where the answer may not be so obvious. What if you had a motion to withdraw you guilty plea granted after successful completion of probation and the case was dismissed? What if you were given the opportunity to participate in a pre-trial diversion program, which leads to a dismissal after you entered a guilty plea but had the case dismissed because you completed the diversion. These can be tricky questions and having an attorney that you can rely upon to properly advise you on your individual case can be critical to your future career.
At the Law Offices of Barry T. Simons, we not only provide you with the very best defense for your DUI charge but also are there to guide you through the Medical Board to preserve and protect your professional status. Regardless of when you case ends or how it ends, we remain with you and are available to help you with these important issues well after your case is resolved.