Sentence Reduction for Brian OConnell
- al: Terrie Oconnell
This petition is on behalf of Brian O’Connell, who is currently being held at the Huerfano County Correctional Center in Walsenburg, CO. Due to his practices and belief in Alternative Health Therapies, he was handed a very harsh and unfair sentence.
This petition is on behalf of Brian O’Connell, who is currently being held at the Huerfano County Correctional Center in Walsenburg, CO. Due to his practices and belief in Alternative Health Therapies, he was handed a very harsh and unfair sentence.
The Access to Medical Treatment Act (AMTA) currently being considered by Congress gives back the authority to patients to use medical treatments and devices that have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
However, Brian’s case came before the court prior to this legislation being approved. The controversy of his patients’ decisions and his desire to support them led to the ensuing media circus and his ultimate prison sentence.
Compare Brian’s case – based on the use of Hydrogen Peroxide therapies - to another well-known naturopath, Robert O. Young. Mr. Young is a leading author of books relating to alternative medicine and the alkaline diet.
Young obtained his N.D. (naturopathic doctor) degree from the Clayton College of Natural Health, a correspondence school in Birmingham, Alabama which is not accredited by a recognized accreditation agency. Brian’s N.M.D. degree was also not accredited.
Young offers a microscopy course in which he trains individuals to be able to understand live blood analysis. Brian also practiced this technique.
Young’s research has been categorized as quackery by some sources and he was also prosecuted for his beliefs. Similarly to Brian, Young was forced to plead guilty to a charge of attempted practice of medicine without a medical license. However, in Young’s case, his charge was dismissed if he promised to stay out of trouble for 18 months.
Hulda Clark is another naturopath who has been plagued with legal disputes. She also has a naturopathy degree from the Clayton College of Natural Health.
In 1993, while Clark lived and practiced in Indiana, a former patient complained to the Indiana attorney general. She was charged with practicing medicine without a license. The charge was later dismissed. Later that year, Esther and Jose Figueroa of New York City (a former patient) filed a civil lawsuit against Clark and several other clinics accusing them of negligence and fraud. The case was also thrown out soon thereafter.
In contrast, in the face of clear wrong doing, on April 15, 2002, Laurence Perry was accused of improperly regulating the insulin dosage of a diabetic child who died as a result in 1999. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and practicing medicine without a license in North Carolina and sentenced to 12-15 months in jail.
However, the zeal of the Jefferson County D.A. and Judge Margie Enquist did not provide as much leniency for Brian. He was served one of the harshest sentences in the history of naturopathic doctors under attack.
Brian was a model citizen – den leader of his son’s scout troup. With a 13 year sentence, his young son will, in essence, lose his father. Brian never had a violent incident or crime in his past of any kind. But yet he has been subjected to the treatment of our worst state criminals.
I believe Brian was convinced to plead guilty to an inflated set of charges in the goal to cooperate with a judicial system he did not understand or have experience with. Brian’s patients willingly accepted his care and advice. There was no violence committed in this case.
I urge you to reconsider the term of Brian’s sentence to more accurately reflect the circumstances of his case, his character, and his ability to return to serving as a worthwhile contributor to society.
Thank you.
firma la peticiónfirma la peticiónThe Access to Medical Treatment Act (AMTA) currently being considered by Congress gives back the authority to patients to use medical treatments and devices that have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
However, Brian’s case came before the court prior to this legislation being approved. The controversy of his patients’ decisions and his desire to support them led to the ensuing media circus and his ultimate prison sentence.
Compare Brian’s case – based on the use of Hydrogen Peroxide therapies - to another well-known naturopath, Robert O. Young. Mr. Young is a leading author of books relating to alternative medicine and the alkaline diet.
Young obtained his N.D. (naturopathic doctor) degree from the Clayton College of Natural Health, a correspondence school in Birmingham, Alabama which is not accredited by a recognized accreditation agency. Brian’s N.M.D. degree was also not accredited.
Young offers a microscopy course in which he trains individuals to be able to understand live blood analysis. Brian also practiced this technique.
Young’s research has been categorized as quackery by some sources and he was also prosecuted for his beliefs. Similarly to Brian, Young was forced to plead guilty to a charge of attempted practice of medicine without a medical license. However, in Young’s case, his charge was dismissed if he promised to stay out of trouble for 18 months.
Hulda Clark is another naturopath who has been plagued with legal disputes. She also has a naturopathy degree from the Clayton College of Natural Health.
In 1993, while Clark lived and practiced in Indiana, a former patient complained to the Indiana attorney general. She was charged with practicing medicine without a license. The charge was later dismissed. Later that year, Esther and Jose Figueroa of New York City (a former patient) filed a civil lawsuit against Clark and several other clinics accusing them of negligence and fraud. The case was also thrown out soon thereafter.
In contrast, in the face of clear wrong doing, on April 15, 2002, Laurence Perry was accused of improperly regulating the insulin dosage of a diabetic child who died as a result in 1999. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and practicing medicine without a license in North Carolina and sentenced to 12-15 months in jail.
However, the zeal of the Jefferson County D.A. and Judge Margie Enquist did not provide as much leniency for Brian. He was served one of the harshest sentences in the history of naturopathic doctors under attack.
Brian was a model citizen – den leader of his son’s scout troup. With a 13 year sentence, his young son will, in essence, lose his father. Brian never had a violent incident or crime in his past of any kind. But yet he has been subjected to the treatment of our worst state criminals.
I believe Brian was convinced to plead guilty to an inflated set of charges in the goal to cooperate with a judicial system he did not understand or have experience with. Brian’s patients willingly accepted his care and advice. There was no violence committed in this case.
I urge you to reconsider the term of Brian’s sentence to more accurately reflect the circumstances of his case, his character, and his ability to return to serving as a worthwhile contributor to society.
Thank you.
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