As in earlier orders, Belot’s latest ruling was terse and critical of the Schneider defense team’s efforts to argue their case

The Schneiders’ lawyers had asked Belot to reconsider a ruling last month, in which he rejected their attempts to keep prosecutors’ medical experts from testifying at the Schneider’s trial.

Belot noted in his order today the defense included a list of medical articles to support their arguments but which, in fact, supported the other side:

“The court is left to wonder whether defendants’ counsel even read the articles they claim will require exclusion of the government’s experts’ testimony.”

Trial is set for February.

Before Schneider and his wife Linda faced 34 criminal charges, they were fighting nearly a dozen malpractice lawsuits — all for the way they prescribed prescription painkillers. Some patients sued because they became addicted, other families because their loved ones died of drug overdoses.

But in this phone call, Reynolds tells Schneider to stop agreeing to settle the lawsuits.

Reynolds call to Schneider

Reynolds, founder of the non-profit Pain Relief Network, told us in an interview on her cell phone that the suits were “frivolous” filed by “ignorant people” and that her advice to Schneider did not conflict with other actions that purported to support the patients.

Reynolds explains phone call

“Some of these cases looked on their way to being settled, but in recent weeks that has stopped,” said Larry Wall, one of the lawyers who represent patients in several wrongful death suits. “It’s unfortunate that someone who is not a lawyer is giving that kind of advice.”

Wall said he expects to file more malpractice suits against Schneider.