Why was Dr. Nick brought to trial?
Despite the abundance of medical issues Elvis reported facing, many people raised suspicions about whether Dr. Nick was justified to prescribe so many different medications.
In 1980, Dr. Nick was arrested on 14 charges of prescribing illegal drugs to 14 artists, which included Elvis. Jerry Lee Lewis. A jury acquitted the doctor, but his legal troubles were far from over.
The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners brought a second complaint against Nick in 1995. This time, according to the AP, the medical board found he committed gross malpractice and unethical conduct with 13 patients, including Jerry. One board member at the time stated, “The doctor admitted that certain of his patients were addicted and yet gave them their drug choice.” This is definitely unethical.
Dr. Nick appealed multiple times against the decision, but the judge affirmed his position. NY Times reporting the doctor told the board he overprescribed because he “cared too much.”
He continued to tell the story. The Daily Beast in 2009, “No one understands that Elvis was so complicated. They made me work so hard to maintain the peace, but then they turned the tables and decided to hold me responsible for his death.