Prosecutors bat back at Paulus trial in Ashland

Nov. 16—ASHLAND — Federal prosecutors argued this week that the trial of Dr. Richard Paulus needs to be moved out of Ashland, renewing the assertion that the jury pool is tainted due to the length of the case.

Additionally, prosecutors said in a motion filed Tuesday that having the trial in Covington — the original venue of the 2016 trial — would be more convenient for "the primary victims of his fraud — the insurance companies who paid for the procedures at issue."

The reason cited for that is due to the airport in northern Kentucky.

Paulus was accused of performing unnecessary stents in order to bilk insurance providers out of money.

Prosecutors also refuted the claim asserted by Paulus attorneys that "memories of his work at King's Daughters Medical Center have faded," stating the intervening the years, with all the appeals and what not, has made further tainted the pool in Ashland.

Out of 48 potential jurors surveyed, three were patients of Paulus and two had spouses that received stents from the doctor. Dozens more had at least a family member who had been treated by Paulus, according to the filing.

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