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Florida Department of Corrections Admits Poor Judgement in Hiring
12/04/09 - 04:04 PM

Associated Press

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The Florida Department of Corrections admits its medical staff used poor judgment when they hired a psychiatrist at Florida State Prison, even though they knew his medical license had been revoked in New York for having sex with a mentally ill patient he was treating.

The New York Bureau of Professional Misconduct revoked the license of Dr. Emanuel Falcone in October, 2008 after concluding he had acted with negligence, incompetence and was morally unfit.

The bureau discovered Falcone had sex with a troubled patient who suffered from multiple personality disorder. Investigators ruled Falcone exploited the patient’s vulnerability.

But then the Florida Department of Corrections hired Falcone about a year later, even after he admitted during his job interview that his license was revoked in New York.

On top of that, the Florida Department of Health started investigating Falcone last December and then initiated actions in April to revoke his Florida license. But that information apparently was never shared with Corrections.

When Corrections Secretary Walter McNeil learned of Falcone’s past problems, he directed staff to look into the case. That inquiry prompted Falcone to resign this week.

“It was a poor judgment and once the secretary learned about it, he asked that we talk to Dr. Falcone to learn more and once we began talking to him, he resigned.”

“Those at the local level were aware of his past problems in New York and that his license had been revoked in New York. He was upfront with us.”

Plessinger says it’s not clear if Corrections was aware of the Department of Health’s investigation of Falcone this year.

“They were aware of his problems in New York. I don’t know that they were aware of the health investigation.”

Today Florida’s Board of Medicine revoked Falcone’s license. His license was first issued in 1984.