Murray repremanded by California Medical Board over child support

The California medical board has repremanded Murray for failing to notify Nevada medical board officials that he had fallen behind in his child support payments, echoing a previous reprimand issued against the doctor by the Nevada board last year.

Murray failed to notify the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners that his child support payments were not up to date as required when he renewed his medical license in 2007 and 2009, according to the California board’s public letter of reprimand.

That letter, which was filed Friday and made public on Monday, noted that Murray’s actions constituted a violation of California law concerning “unprofessional conduct”, - grounds for a reprimand. A public reprimand is a lesser form of discipline that doctors can negotiate for minor violations in an attempt to avoid formal charges.

Murray’s Houston-based attorney, Charles Peckham, said Murray agreed to the letter of reprimand after having negotiations with attorneys representing the medical board.

Peckham said that at the time Murray submitted his Nevada license renewals, he “was in the middle of negotiating a child support settlement” and “didn’t realize he was out of compliance with child support”.

Murray is still licensed in California, Nevada and Texas, although he faces discipline and restrictions. Murray’s California medical license, issued in 1991, was suspended by a Los Angeles County judge in January until the end of his criminal case. Texas officials restricted his medical license in April, Nevada officials in June, to bar him from administering propofol and other heavy sedatives.

MJFS