Dr. Lee Gibson
aka: Lee Lamar Gibson
ARKANSAS MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— E-7160
DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS— no actions listed as of 2/10/2018
Flippin man arrested on child porn charge
A 60-year-old Flippin man was arrested early Thursday morning on a charge of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting child sex.
Lee Lamar Gibson was booked into the Marion County jail at 1:27 a.m. Thursday morning. He was released from the jail at 3:20 p.m. after posting a $50,000 bond, according to records.
At the request of 14th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney David Ethredge, the probable cause affidavit in the case was sealed by Circuit Court Judge Gordon Webb.
The language the prosecutor used in the motion to request the sealing of the affidavit is the same language used in almost all such motions the prosecutor makes to have affidavits sealed.
There has yet to be a prominent case where a judge has denied such a request from Ethredge. Usually, the affidavits do not in fact stay sealed for “a short period of time” as the request asks, but rather stay sealed for several months.
Order of protection
Gibson’s former wife filed an order of protection against him in September of 2017. In the affidavit asking for the order, Gibson’s former wife makes several allegations.
The woman told the court Gibson is an emergency room doctor who practices in Missouri. She told the court Gibson stole a drug called Ketamine from the hospital.
His former wife told the court she confronted Gibson about the drugs.
“He bragged to me in prior conversations he would give the drugs to drunk or abusive patients out of spite or control,” the woman wrote in the affidavit. “I feel he brought those drugs home to administer to me.”
She also told the court Gibson had been sending abusive text messages to her and her family, that he had been stalking her, that he often carried two or three weapons and that had been been caught trying to climb a 20-foot balcony to gain access to her home.
She told the court he was arrested on that occasion.
She further told the court her former husband bragged to her following his arrest “that he is not worried, that he is going to out smart the hicks around here and he has the money to get out of trouble.”
Both Gibson and his former wife hired attorneys and the order of protection was later dropped, according to court records. (LINK)—2/02/2018
Arkansas doctor in porn case sees his license suspended
The Arkansas State Medical Board on Friday suspended the license of a Flippin doctor who was arrested last week on child-pornography charges.
According to court records, Lee Gibson, 60, was arrested Feb. 1 on charges of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child.
According to a report in the Baxter Bulletin, Gibson was released the same day after posting a $50,000 bond. A circuit judge sealed the probable-cause affidavit at the county prosecutor’s request, the newspaper reported.
In a Sept. 5 petition for an order of protection, Gibson’s former wife described him as an emergency room doctor who works at a hospital in Kensett, Mo.
In a conference call meeting Friday, the Medical Board voted to suspend Gibson’s Arkansas license pending a hearing.
Kevin O’Dwyer, an attorney for the board, said the board typically allows doctors facing criminal charges to postpone hearings on their licenses until the criminal charges are resolved. In the meantime, the doctors’ licenses remain suspended.
He said the licensing boards in Missouri and Oklahoma were notified of the Arkansas board’s action. (LINK)—2/10/2018
State drops charges against physician
Felony charges of distributing, possessing or viewing of matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child filed against local physician 50-year-old Lee L. Gibson of Flippin in February have been dropped.
According to online court records, one day after Gibson reappeared before Judge John Putman in Marion County Circuit Court, an order to nolle pros* the charges was entered Thursday. The three line order notes, “From the statements of the parties and other matters now before the Court, the Court finds that the charges shall be Nolle Prosed.” No other details are provided.
From the outset information about the case has been limited.
In an unusual move, Circuit Judge Gordon Webb sealed the probable cause affidavit and case information at the request of 14th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney David Ethredge the day before Gibson was taken into custody.
The Order to Seal Affidavit and Information document indicates the record was sealed on the grounds that if released to the public, it could compromise an ongoing investigation. In addition, the release of said information is sensitive, and it is necessary to withhold this information for a short time to ensure the investigations are not impaired.
While Gibson is a physician, he was not practicing in the Twin Lakes Area at the time of his arrest. Shortly after his arrest, his medical license was suspended by the Arkansas State Medical Board.
He was arrested by Arkansas State Police and was ordered to wear an ankle monitor at the time as part of the conditions for bond.
Late last month, Gibson was back in Marion County Circuit Court before Circuit Judge Putman where the ankle monitor restriction was removed.
At the time, Ethredge told KTLO, Classic Hits 101.7 and The Boot news he met with Judge Putman and Gibson’s attorney, Paul Bayless, and agreed for the change in the bond conditions. Ethredge said Gibson was not considered the flight risk he was believed to be at the time of his arrest, noting he had surrendered his passport to authorities. All other conditions of Gibson’s bond remained in place. (LINK)—5/29/2018
Medical board reinstates Arkansas physician’s license after charges dismissed
The Arkansas State Medical Board has lifted its suspension of a Flippin doctor’s medical license after child pornography charges were dropped.
The board suspended Lee Gibson’s license in February after he was arrested on charges of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child.
Marion County Circuit Court records list the charge as being dropped at the request of prosecutors on May 24.
Juli Carlson, an executive assistant at the Medical Board, said the board “dismissed the allegations” against Gibson at its meeting Thursday.
A notice on the board’s website listed the license suspension as being lifted effective Monday.
Prosecuting Attorney David Ethredge didn’t return phone calls and an email on Monday seeking information on why the charges were dropped.
Kevin O’Dwyer, an attorney for the Medical Board, also didn’t return a call seeking comment. (LINK)—6/12/2018
*NOTE—The normal effect of nolle prosequi is to leave matters as if charges had never been filed. It’s not an acquittal, which (through the principle of double jeopardy) prevents further proceedings against the defendant for the conduct in question. Rather, at least when it occurs before trial, nolle prosequi typically leaves the decision of whether to re-prosecute in the hands of the government. If the prosecution decides to bring charges again—for example, after it’s gathered more evidence—it must file a new charging document. (People v. Daniels, 187 Ill. 2d 301 (1999), Kenyon v. Com., 37 Va. App. 668 (2002).)
