WITNESS TESTIFIES KNOX WORKED WITHIN LIMITS

The Defense Witness, Who Was Paid Hundreds Of Dollars An Hour, Said Cecil
Byron Knox Stayed Within Legitimate Medical Practice.

An expert witness for the defense team of Roanoke pain specialist Cecil
Byron Knox testified Tuesday that Knox's prescription of painkillers such
as OxyContin and methadone fell within the scope of legitimate medical
practice.

Dr. Richard Bonfiglio testified that Knox "ended up at the bottom of the
funnel" of doctors for the "difficult" patients who comprised much of his
practice. Many had medical histories that included workplace accidents,
multiple surgeries and histories of substance abuse or psychiatric
problems, Bonfiglio testified.

Based on the 31 patient charts he reviewed, Bonfiglio said Knox did not
stray outside the scope of legitimate medical practice with the dosages of
painkillers he prescribed and that it was appropriate for Knox to prescribe
more than one painkiller at a time.

On cross-examination by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rusty Fitzgerald,
Bonfiglio, who practices pain management in Pittsburgh, admitted that he
had testified in about 80 cases over the past 20 years. He also testified
that he was being paid $450 per hour for his review of the medical charts
in the case, $750 for his first hour at trial and $600 per hour for the
rest of the time he testified.

Bonfiglio also agreed with Fitzgerald that it would be outside the scope of
medical practice for a doctor to let a nurse write prescriptions with his
signature already on them when he was out of the country. He also testified
that it would be inappropriate for a doctor to smoke marijuana with his
patients outside the office.

After objections by defense attorneys, Chief U.S. District Judge Samuel
Wilson reminded Fitzgerald that the charges against Knox concerned the
prescription of medication outside the scope of legitimate medical
practice, not necessarily inappropriate activities.

Fitzgerald also asked Bonfiglio if he prescribed as high a dosage for his
patients as Knox did.

Bonfiglio replied that he doesn't, not because there isn't a medical
justification for it, but because he did not want to find himself the
subject of a federal prosecution.