CITY SURGEON PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG COUNTS

Oklahoma City plastic surgeon Dr. Lori Hansen pleaded guilty Tuesday to two
felony drug charges.

District Judge Virgil Black gave Hansen a one-year deferred sentence for
her guilty plea to two counts of obtaining a controlled substance by
misrepresentation.

After sentencing Hansen, Black told the doctor her treatment in the
judicial system was more severe because she is a public person.

"Thank you for saying you want to do what is right," Black said from the
bench. "Thank you for what you have done in the last 11/2 years."

Hansen, 47, became the center of an Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and
Dangerous Drugs Control investigation when she reported she had been
addicted to drugs on her Aug. 2 renewal application to dispense narcotics.

On Nov. 5, she publicly said she was addicted to painkillers from January
1997 until June 2000, when her office staff confronted her about her problem.

The judge also ordered Hansen to complete 300 hours of community service,
with 50 of the hours to be public speaking on chemical dependency. Her
community service will be supervised by District Attorney Gene Christian,
the special prosecutor appointed in the case. Christian is head prosecutor
in Stephens, Grady, Jefferson and Caddo counties.

Hansen must continue counseling and submit to two drug tests a month. She
must pay $2,370 in fines and court costs.

Hansen's husband, Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane, stood beside
her, and patted and rubbed her back while she answered the judge's
questions. Lane continued to embrace his wife as they left the courtroom.

"This has been a tough process, but it has been a just process," Lane said.
"I'm very proud of my wife."

Lane turned to his wife and said: "You are the finest woman I have ever
known. I am proud to be married to you."

Hansen smiled as her husband kissed her.

Christian filed the felony charges just over four hours before Hansen was
scheduled to appear before Black to enter her negotiated plea with Christian.

The special prosecutor said he had three options -- not to file charges, a
probation agreement with the district attorney or file charges.

"I brought these two counts because based on the facts and circumstances, I
felt that was proper filing," Christian said earlier Tuesday.

The special prosecutor said the plea agreement was justified because Hansen
reported her drug problem, sought and still receives treatment, and
cooperated with the investigation.

"I know there'll be those who think I'm too harsh even in the filing and
those who think I'm too lenient in the punishment," Christian said.

Christian said the plea agreement doesn't address the status of her medical
license or her state permit to dispense narcotics.

The Oklahoma State Board of Medical Licensure has scheduled a Jan. 17
hearing to determine the status of Hansen's medical license.

Mark Woodward, spokesman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and
Dangerous Drugs Control, said no action will be taken on her permit to
dispense narcotics until the licensure board takes action.

Hansen admitted that on May 15, 2000, she wrote a prescription for
hydrocodone, a painkiller, for Twyla G. Brown. It was filled at Eckerd
Pharmacy, 12322 N May Ave., for Hansen's use.

The second charge claims on May 19, 2000, she wrote a prescription for the
same drug in the name of Pam Gibbons and had it filled at Homeland
Pharmacy, 9320 N Pennsylvania Ave., for her own use.

Christian said he chose those two counts to file because the prescriptions
were written in the names of Hansen's office manager and household
employee. He said he did not file on other counts where Hansen took
hydrocodone from the sample cabinet at her office.

"There would be numerous counts," Christian said. "I didn't go through and
count."

The felony charge can carry a punishment of up to 20 years in prison and a
fine of $250,000. Christian said the maximum punishment is written for
violators who deliver and dispense the drugs to other people when
prescriptions are obtained by misrepresentation.