William I. Murphy's letter about the proposed federal guidelines
on the privacy of medical records "Medical Records and law
Enforcement," Oct. 8 proposes that citizens' medical records be
readily available to prosecutors such as Mr. Murphy and other law
officers. He would like these records to be avail- able without
judicial review so that lawenforcement officials can use them to
help identity and arrest suspects.

This suggestion is understandable, coming as it does from someone
who seems to feel that the protection of judicial review of
warrants is merely an "administrative delay" Citizens'
expectation of some recognition of their interest in keeping
"privates" private seems to mean too much freedom for Mr.
Murphy's taste.

Although his proposal sounds like a boon for the war on crime,
providing an effective way to identify for arrest those seeking
substance abuse treatments, for example, I see some serious
drawbacks to such an approach.

William Hathway
Severn, Md