A doctor accused of illegally dispensing prescription drugs will not face a second trial on Florida drug trafficking charges. Dr. John Mubang was tried in Tampa last month and the jury could not reach a verdict in his case. Now the state has decided to not go through with another trial and Mubang will continue to see patients as he has done since his arrest.
One of the reasons Mubang will not stand trial for a second time was the fact that five of the six jurors wanted to find the doctor not guilty. That was according to a quote from the jury foreman to the St. Petersburg Times. Circuit Judge Ronald Ficarrotta was on the bench for the case and declared the mistrial. The Seffner doctor has agreed to enter a pretrial intervention program that will last 9 to 18 months and include community service hours. Following successful completion all drug trafficking charges will be dropped.
The drug trafficking case dates back to 2008. Prosecutors accused Mubang of prescribing undercover officers addictive medication. According to charges, the doctor prescribed enough drugs to warrant trafficking charges. It was also alleged that the physician never examined the undercover detectives, never asked about their medical histories or any other pertinent questions before writing prescriptions for painkillers. The charges led to the first such trial ever in Hillsborough County.
According to Mubang’s criminal defense attorney, there were no sanctions on the doctor’s medical license and he will continue to practice medicine in Seffner. He also emphasized that there was no admission of guilt by his client. Mubang did not comment following the announcement by prosecutors but his attorney said he felt that the resolution was fair for everyone involved in the case. The quote from the jury foreman had a big effect on the prosecution not moving forward with a second trial according to Mubang’s lawyer.
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