No. 18-1483

Gene N. Barry v. Scott M. Freshour, et al.

Lower Court: Fifth Circuit
Docketed: 2019-05-29
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: 4th-amendment administrative-law administrative-search civil-rights due-process fourth-amendment medical-records privacy privacy-interest property-rights section-1983 standing
Key Terms:
FourthAmendment Privacy HealthPrivacy JusticiabilityDoctri Jurisdiction
Latest Conference: 2019-06-20
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Must doctors have an ownership interest in their medical practices in order to have cognizable privacy or property interests in medical records that (a) they are required by state law to maintain, (b) are subpoenaed from them personally, and (c) are being used against them in administrative proceedings?

Question Presented (from Petition)

QUESTION PRESENTED Dr. Gene Barry was subjected to a warrantless, non-consensual, and non-exigent administrative search and seizure of his medical records via a Texas Medical Board [“TMB”] subpoena instanter addressed to him personally which (1) demanded immediate compliance, (2) was enforced by TMB inspectors, and (3) deprived him of his right to seek pre-compliance review. He sued relevant TMB personnel under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The United States’ District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division (Rosenthal, C.J.) concluded Dr. Barry suffered an injury and denied Respondents’ motion to dismiss. On appeal, the Fifth Circuit reversed after concluding Dr. Barry lacked “Fourth Amendment standing” because he did not own the clinic at which he worked.! Therefore, the question presented is: Must doctors have an ownership interest in their medical practices in order to have cognizable privacy or property interests in medical records that (a) they are required by state law to maintain, (b) are subpoenaed from them personally, and (c) are being used against them in administrative proceedings? 1 Barry v. Freshour, 905 F.3d 912, 915 n. 3 (5th Cir. Oct. 4, 2018). See also id., at 914.

Docket Entries

2019-06-24
Petition DENIED.
2019-06-04
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/20/2019.
2019-05-30
Waiver of right of respondents Scott Freshour, et al. to respond filed.
2019-05-10
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due June 28, 2019)

Attorneys

Dr. Gene N. Barry
William Pieratt DemondDemond Law, PLLC, Petitioner
William Pieratt DemondDemond Law, PLLC, Petitioner
Scott Freshour, et al.
Kyle Douglas HawkinsTexas Attorney General's Office, Respondent
Kyle Douglas HawkinsTexas Attorney General's Office, Respondent