Dr. Ross Levatter of Phoenix, Arizona is a renowned specialist in Nuclear Medicine.  Additionally, he's been a frequently published political writer and libertarian political activist, contributing money to libertarian candidates, posting articles and comments in popular libertarian on-line journals and websites, and receiving the 2007 Thomas Szasz award from the Center For Independent Thought for his public critiques of government use of forced "therapeutic" psychological treatment.

On August 5th, the Phoenix, Arizona police arrested him and charged him with a string of felonies.  Even if he is found not guilty of any of them, they are of a nature that will ruin his medical career.

Why?  Because during the police investigations that yesteday resulted in the largest prostitution bust in Arizona history, with over 100 people charged, Levatter's name came up.

Not only as a client, for which he *wasn't* charged, but for felonies pertaining to involvment in an escort operation known as "Desert Divas" and other escort businesses, because the owner of these establishments and his associates took seriously Levatter's opinions on which escorts should be hired/fired.  He does not appear to have been an investor or business partner in any real sense, but someone whose thoughts were valued by the agencies' owner.

Levatter was booked on charges of conspiracy to control an illegal enterprise, illegal control of an enterprise, first-degree money laundering and operating a house of prostitution.  Not on solicitation or any of the usual client charges.  And if there is really verified information connecting him with the actual running of these businesses, the DA's office has yet to let this be known.  The DA's office and police have let bits of information on other arrestees out, from the women arrested on up, but not on Levatter.

How the police get from "client" to these charges on Levatter, when all they've indicated is that his opinions were respected by the owners, is baffling.  And really a little scary.

Especially when Levatter's biggest known "crime" is his public criticism of government-enforced psychological treatment.