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Charlotte Amalie
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Maynard Jury to Begin Third Day of Deliberations

Feb. 14, 2007– Jury deliberations will continue on Thursday in the case against Paul Maynard, a St. Thomas doctor charged with illegally prescribing pain medication to patients. Jurors ended their second day of deliberations around 5 p.m. Wednesday, after they were unable to reach a verdict.
Maynard was indicted in 2003 by a federal grand jury on 170 counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances or derivatives — primarily Schedule II drugs, such as OxyContin, Percocet and Percodan, among others.
The jury began deliberating shortly after noon on Tuesday, after hearing closing arguments. Since then, they have emerged briefly to pose questions to visiting District Court Judge James Giles, who is presiding over the trial.
Around 4 p.m. Wednesday, jurors requested that Giles review three pieces of evidence introduced over the course of the trial (now in its second week), including audio and video footage taken in 2002 by undercover federal agents investigating Maynard's practice.
Over the past few days, the prosecution has said that Maynard prescribed the drugs to individuals for a $60 to $80 fee without examining their medical records, conducting follow-up examinations or referring those patients to other medical professionals for further study.
However, the defense has said that Maynard was duped by a series of patients — including the group of undercover federal agents — into prescribing medication for false ailments, ranging from back pain to an overextended elbow (See "Doctor's Fate Now In the Hands of the Jury").
Video footage played on Thursday shows one of the undercover agents asking Maynard to refill a prescription for Percodan. Complaining of pain in his left leg, the patient also asks Maynard to write him a prescription for Valium. In the tape, Maynard, who is seen sitting at his desk, writes both prescriptions and tells the patient to exercise caution when taking the medication.
Jury deliberations will resume at 9 a.m. Thursday.
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