Matter of Rozas Gibson Pharmacy of Eunice, Inc.

382 So. 2d 929, 1980 La. LEXIS 7043
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedApril 7, 1980
Docket65924
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 382 So. 2d 929 (Matter of Rozas Gibson Pharmacy of Eunice, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Matter of Rozas Gibson Pharmacy of Eunice, Inc., 382 So. 2d 929, 1980 La. LEXIS 7043 (La. 1980).

Opinion

382 So.2d 929 (1980)

In the Matter of an Offense Under Investigation, In re ROZAS GIBSON PHARMACY OF EUNICE, INC.

No. 65924.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

April 7, 1980.

William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., John L. A. Lenfant, IV, David C. Forrester, Asst. Attys. Gen., for relator.

Richard Olsen, New Orleans, for respondents.

CALOGERO, Justice.[*]

In furtherance of an investigation conducted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of his office the Attorney General of Louisiana caused to be issued as per Article 66 of the Code of Criminal Procedure two subpoenas duces tecum ordering S. Paul Rozas, as owner of Rozas' Pharmacy, and S. Paul Rozas, as president of Rozas' Gibson Pharmacy of Eunice, Inc., to produce certain computer logs and Medicaid computer forms of the Rozas' Gibson Pharmacy.

Counsel for Mr. Rozas and for the corporation filed an "exception to writ of subpoena duces tecum" alleging that the forcible surrender or production of the documents sought would compel him to abandon his privilege against self-incrimination. The trial judge sustained the exception and quashed the two subpoenas in question.

We granted writs upon application of the state to review this ruling of the trial court.

Attached to the state's motion for issuance of a subpoena duces tecum was an affidavit by an investigator from the Attorney General's office which stated:

*930 "On Tuesday, June 19, 1979, while checking the drug room at the Nursing Home of Eunice, located in Eunice, Louisiana, Affiant and Investigator Byron I. Davidson, Jr., discovered approximately fifty prescription vials bearing Rozas Gibson Pharmacy labels which displayed a brand name drug but contained what appeared to be a generic substance. A generic drug is chemically equivalent to a brand name drug but is substantially cheaper.
"Samples of the questionable drugs were taken and consent forms releasing the samples and their respective containers were obtained from Doris J. Dupuis, Administrator of the Nursing Home of Eunice.
"On Friday, July 13, 1979, Affiant met with Brent McArthur, Pharmaceutical Consultant for the Attorney General's Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, who substantiated by inspection that forty-two of the drug samples seized from the Nursing Home of Eunice were generic substitutes.
"Upon review by Affiant of the patient's medical charts who received generic drugs from Rozas Gibson Pharmacy, it was discovered that the physicians of the patients had prescribed, on each occasion, the brand name drug and not the generic substitutes which was (sic) dispensed.
"A review of the records from the State's Medicaid Program supplied by the Louisiana Department of Health and Human Resources, on the fifty questionable prescription vials, revealed that Rozas Gibson Pharmacy #1, billed the State Medicaid Program for the brand name drug while dispensing the cheaper generic substitutes, and was subsequently reimbursed by the State's Medicaid Program for the cost of dispensing the brand name drug.

". . .

"In addition, a comparison of patients' medical history profiles supplied by the Department of Health and Human Resources to medication records maintained by the Nursing Home of Eunice have revealed that Rozas Gibson Pharmacy # 1, billed for quantities of medication in excess of that actually dispensed to the patients at the Nursing Home of Eunice."

Shortly after the initiation of this investigation, the state learned that Rozas Pharmacy utilized a computer system to maintain a record of the pharmacy's prescription business and to bill the State of Louisiana for medicaid prescriptions which the pharmacy filled. Pursuant to its investigation the state obtained a subpoena duces tecum which directed Mr. Rozas to produce an assortment of documents including prescriptions, patient profile cards for Medicaid customers, computer claims forms submitted to Medicaid, and any and all computer software, including but not limited to computer programs.

When the state was dissatisfied with the return on this subpoena the state filed a second "motion for subpoena duces tecum" on August 16, 1979, requesting production of the following:

"1. Any and all computer generated daily logs, listing detailed information regarding each prescription entered into the computer on a daily basis, from March 1, 1978 to August 1, 1979,
"2. Any and all Medicaid computer claim forms printed, but not submitted to the Medicaid Program from March 1, 1978, to August 1, 1979."

Later discovery of the pharmacy's corporate status resulted in the filing of an identical motion on August 28, 1979, directed to Rozas Gibson Pharmacy of Eunice, Inc., through its president, S. Paul Rozas. Exceptions to both of these latter subpoenas (one to Rozas personally and the other to Rozas as a representative of the corporation) were filed by Mr. Rozas on August 28 and September 18, 1979. At a hearing on these exceptions the trial court quashed the two subpoenas in question on the grounds that these subpoenas violated Mr. Rozas' Fifth Amendment rights.

The state contends that the trial court erred in quashing the two subpoenas duces tecum for the following reasons: (1) a corporation and a corporate officer acting as a *931 representative of the corporation cannot claim the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination; (2) The evidence sought herein by the two subpoenas is neither testimonial nor communicative; (3) Mr. Rozas has no reasonable expectation of privacy with respect to the prescription records of the Rozas Gibson Pharmacy.

The issue thus raised presents for our consideration a number of possible questions pertaining to the privilege against self-incrimination relating to both S. Paul Rozas and Rozas Gibson Pharmacy of Eunice, Inc.

Relative to Paul Rozas personally, are the entries made by him on the Pharmacy's computer and the writings on the unsubmitted medicaid forms in effect testimony or communications which are protected by the privilege against self-incrimination?[1] Does Rozas have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the business records requested?[2] Can Rozas as distinguished from his lawyer or accountant be required to bring the records to court in response to a subpoena duces tecum?[3] Would compelling Rozas to produce the requested material constitute giving evidence against himself in violation of Article I, Section 16 of the Louisiana Constitution which reads in pertinent part: "No person shall be compelled to give evidence against himself?" Notwithstanding the answers to the foregoing questions, has Rozas personally waived any privilege against self-incrimination by entering a regulated pharmacy business and/or by participating in a federal program which requires participants to keep records of services provided and to disclose those records upon request?[4]

Relative to Rozas' Gibson Pharmacy of Eunice, Inc., through its representative and president S. Paul Rozas, may such business corporation through its president claim a privilege against self-incrimination under the federal or state constitutions?[5] Assuming that a corporation or a corporate officer can claim the privilege under the Louisiana Constitution, are the subpoenaed records testimony or communications or protected as per Article I, § 16 La.Const. of 1974, by the proscription against giving evidence *932 against oneself?[6]

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Pullin v. Louisiana State Racing Com'n
477 So. 2d 683 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1985)
State v. Griffon
448 So. 2d 1287 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1984)
Stornanti v. Commonwealth
451 N.E.2d 707 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1983)
Matter of Morris Thrift Pharmacy
397 So. 2d 1301 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1981)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
382 So. 2d 929, 1980 La. LEXIS 7043, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/matter-of-rozas-gibson-pharmacy-of-eunice-inc-la-1980.