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Judge Orders Ends Of Medicaid Lawsuit By Arkansas Doctor

A federal judge has formally dismissed a lawsuit filed by an Arkansas doctor convicted of possessing child pornography who had been treating Medicaid patients.

The judge on Monday gave Dr. Lonnie Joseph Parker permission to file the lawsuit again.

Parker and the state last week announced an end to the lawsuit. He had challenged a state law that blocked him from collecting payments for working with patients covered by Medicaid.

Parker received the child pornography images in 1997 and maintained he had not solicited them and was innocent.

His medical license was restored in 2005.

Legislators this year banned Medicaid payments to registered sex offenders after learning Parker had collected nearly a half-million dollars.

The court order ending the case did not give a reason for why the lawsuit ended.

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