Forgery Suspect Shows Up in Court with Forged Doctor's Note
Some people never learn, and Michelle Astumian happens to be one of them.
In a California court to be sentenced for forgery, she presented a doctor's note to the prosecutor requesting that the hearing be postponed.
The note was a fake.
In January, Michelle Astumian pled no contest to two counts of forging drug prescriptions and one count of using a fraudulent check. Out on bail, she returned to court on Tuesday to officially be sentenced to a 4 years and 8 months in jail.
Because no one trusts a forger, District Attorney Dave Pomeroy immediately called Astumian's doctor to verify the note.
The judge, who wasn't too pleased to find out that Michelle Astumian had tried to pass off another forged document, ordered her to jail, reports the Associated Press.
In a move that raises questions about her sanity, Astumian collapsed on the floor, reports The Tribune. The D.A. is rightfully skeptical about her dramatic reaction.
Forging prescriptions and checks are felonies in California, as well as in a large portion of other states. However, forging a doctor's note is a questionable offense.
Michelle Astumian probably wasn't under oath when she presented her note, so she's not likely liable for perjury. However, there are laws against lying to officials and impersonating health care providers which her little stunt may have violated.
Astumian's forged doctor's note probably also caused her to forfeit her reported $45,000 in bail. Not falsifying documents was undoubtedly part of her bail conditions, and she violated them right in front of the judge.
Related Resources:
- Drug prescription forger seeks court delay with, uh, a doctor's note (USA Today)
- Forgery (FindLaw)
- Drugs and Narcotics (FindLaw)
- 14 People Face Felony Charges in Prescription Drug Ring Case (FindLaw's Phoenix Criminal Law News)