Judge allows access to Love's Adderall records

Attorneys for George Huguely will only be allowed to view information about Yeardley Love’s Adderall prescription, a Charlottesville judge ruled Wednesday.

Judge Robert H. Downer Jr. announced his finding in Charlottesville General District Court a week after Huguely’s attorneys requested to view Love’s medical records from the University of Virginia’s departments of student health and athletics.

Downer said in court Tuesday that he reviewed all of Love’s medical records that had been subpoenaed.

“I find nothing even remotely material to his case in there with the exception of what has already been described previously … ” the judge said in court.

Huguely, 23, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the 22-year-old Love’s death. Her body was found May 3 in her city apartment. Huguely and Love, who previously dated, both were fourth-year students and on the university’s lacrosse team at the time of Love’s death.

Dr. William Gormley, a medical examiner with the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Richmond, testified last week that Love died from blunt-force trauma to the head. However, Huguely-hired pathologist Dr. Jack Daniel testified that he believes Love suffered a cardiac arrhythmia that caused insufficient blood flow to her head. Daniel said he wants to review Love’s records to look for any medications that cause muscle stimulation.

Witnesses testified last week that .05 milligrams per liter of amphetamine was found in Love’s body and she had a blood-alcohol content of .14. Adderall contains amphetamine, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Gormley testified last week that amphetamine in any dose increases the risk of cardiac arrhythmias, or problems with the rate or rhythm of a heartbeat.

Downer said in court Wednesday that Love had the Adderall prescription since she matriculated to UVa and hadn’t been prescribed other medications. The judge told the attorneys in court that there wasn’t evidence in the medical records that Love was taking medications that weren’t prescribed to her.

After the judge issued his ruling, Huguely attorney Francis McQ. Lawrence asked several questions about what the records contained, including if Love had any “diet or weight issues” and if a 14-page student-athlete survey was included in the records. The judge replied that Love had no diet or weight issues outside of what is normal and that he did review the survey.

“There is nothing remotely embarrassing or unusual for a woman who is a student-athlete,” the judge said about the records during his ruling.

Dave Chapman, commonwealth’s attorney, said during last week’s hearing that the defense’s requests to view Love’s medical records was overbroad and could be part of “what amounts to a fishing expedition.” Love’s mother previously wrote a letter objecting to the subpoenas for her daughter’s medical records.

Huguely, who was not present in court on Wednesday, is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on Jan. 21. During a discussion of when the prescription records would be available for review, Lawrence said, “We are just racing to this Jan. 21 date with all sorts of things unanswered.”