ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A “monster” or devoted medical doctor? It’s a question a jury must decide in the federal criminal trial of Dr. Scott Hollington, a St. Augustine addiction specialist accused of trading prescription drugs for sex.
Hollington has pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of conspiracy, drug distribution and obstruction of justice.
Testimony got underway Monday with DEA Diversion Investigator David Martin, who oversaw a monthslong sting operation. He said undercover agents were given prescriptions for controlled substances, including Xanax, Subtext and Adderall without demonstrating any medical need or undergoing a medical assessment.
“The [agents] were told to give as little information as possible [to Hollington] and, if possible, don’t give a medical reason for the prescriptions,” Martin testified.
Hollington’s attorney Curtis Falgatter argued that the drugs Hollington prescribed were legitimate medications to help drug addicts in recovery, and that the allegations of sex with patients were just “smoke and mirrors.”
The day’s second witness was a former female patient who said Hollington exploited the fact that she was destitute, drug addicted and had a history of sexual exploitation in order to extort sexual acts. She called him “a monster” and grew angry under lengthy questioning by Falgatter. At one point, she turned her back to the attorney in the witness chair and, soon after, stormed out of the courtroom, saying, “You’ll have to arrest me, I’m done.”
She did eventually return, but during a court break, Fallgatter complained to U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan. “I’ve never had a more hostile witness in the courtroom,” he said, adding, “There needs to be some decorum and with all due respect I need your help with that.”
Corrigan acknowledged the witness’ behavior crossed the line, including sometimes salty language, but said it was not surprising given the “prolonged” nature of Falgatter’s cross-examination and the witness’ clear agitation.
“I think some of the emotion you are hearing is legitimate emotion,” Corrigan said, noting he didn’t think the witness was trying to interfere with the cross-examination.
“Be careful what you ask for, you’re going to get... I don’t think you get a sanitized version of it,” Corrigan said. “There’s going to be some rough and tumble.”
The third witness was also former patient, who was being treated for addiction disorders by a different doctor whose practice had closed. She said she was initially struck by the fact that Hollington’s office had no receptionist and the doctor himself was barefooted. “I thought that was kind of bizarre,” she said.
The patient testified she grew uncomfortable when Hollington asked on her first visit if she had a boyfriend, then “nervous” after he locked both his outside business door and office door. She said he then proceeded to assault her, pulling off her yoga pants, the “threads ripping,” and put his fingers inside her vagina. When she continued to rebuff his advances, she said he relented but charged her more than he’d initially quoted and significantly cut the dosage of each of her three prescriptions.
The patient said she was reluctant to go back. She did eventually return because she needed the medications to stay clean, but brought her stepdad for safety. She testified Hollington didn’t immediately recognize her but, “looked at me with these eyes, like a wolf.”
When they left the appointment, she testified, her stepfather was holding prescriptions for valium and suboxone.
“I was confused,” she noted. “My stepdad has never taken a pain pill in his life.”
Hollington himself was attentive throughout testimony, his suit and tie rumpled when he stood to be identified by each witness. At one point, he sighed loudly as jurors left the courtroom.
Testimony continues Tuesday morning. The trial is expected to continue into next week.
