Zoloft: Good Morning America looked at Pittman murder trial....

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This article states: ""And I think what Pfizer is not telling you is that they have internal documents they've not provided to the public, they've not provided them to the prosecutor, they've not provided them even to the FDA, that show they know that this drug can cause in some people violent reactions, including homicide". Paragraph 14 states, in part: "Pittman's defense team is seeking to have these documents, which they've seen in other cases, allowed to be used in this case".http://www.heraldonline.com/local/story/3792641p-3399930c.html"Show looks at Pittman murder trial""Family, attorneys make case against drugs on 'Good Morning America' "By jcato Jason Cato

The Herald(Published September 4, 2004)Christopher Pittman didn't make the trip, but his story was heard across the country Friday thanks to an appearance by his attorneys and grandmother on "Good Morning America."Host Charles Gibson interviewed Del Duprey, the boy's maternal grandmother, and attorneys Andy Vickery and Karen Menzies for nearly eight minutes, with the segment spliced with photographs of Pittman provided by his family and The Herald. Footage also was shown of Joe D. Pittman, the boy's father, reading a letter from his son about the killings to the Food and Drug Administration during a hearing in February.The segment, titled "Dangerous medicine? Anti-depressant murder trial," was the latest major coverage of the Chester County murder case. The New York Times ran a front page story about the case on Aug. 23.Pittman is charged with shooting his grandparents, Joe Frank Pittman and Joy Roberts Pittman, while they were in bed in November 2001 and then setting the rural Chester County house on fire before fleeing. He was 12 at the time and will be tried as an adult. If convicted, he could receive up to life in prison.His defense will focus around the claim that an adverse reaction to his antidepressant medication caused his violent behavior. Pittman had been taking antidepressants, first Paxil then Zoloft, for about five weeks before his grandparents were killed.Gibson asked Duprey what it is that makes her believe the medicine caused Pittman's violence."The child that he is, still this day, is not the child that killed his grandparents," Duprey said. "And something had to have done that."Representatives from Pfizer, the company that makes Zoloft, were invited to appear on the show but declined to come, Gibson said. Instead, they provided a written statement that said an FDA review of antidepressants and potential problems with children found there was no difference between the rates of suicidal thoughts or actions in patients treated with Zoloft and those treated with a placebo."We're not talking about rates of violent behavior. We're talking about an individual," Vickery said. "We're talking about can this drug, which was designed to affect brain chemistry, trigger violent behavior towards one's self or others -- in an individual."We intend to show that this young man was under the influence of a very powerful, mind altering drug that was designed to affect the very chemical in the brain that affects violence and aggression."Asked if it's possible that Pittman's violent act could have been due to his mother abandoning him as a baby and problems with his father, Menzies said stronger evidence shows that the violent behavior was out of character for Pittman."In fact, as soon as he started taking the medication, everybody saw that his behavior changed," she said. "And I think what Pfizer is not telling you is that they have internal documents they've not provided to the public, they've not provided them to the prosecutor, they've not provided them even to the FDA, that show they know that this drug can cause in some people violent reactions, including homicide."Pittman's defense team is seeking to have these documents, which they've seen in other cases, allowed to be used in this case. Pfizer is fighting the attempt, and the judge has not scheduled a hearing yet to address the issue.A hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday in Walterboro, however, where Judge Daniel Pieper of North Charleston is likely to hear arguments for replacing Pittman's lead attorney. Vickery said Friday from New York that he filed a motion to replace Chester County Public Defender Yale Zamore "on Christopher's specific request." Zamore could not be reached for comment.Back on the television show, Gibson asked Duprey if there's a lesson to be learned from her grandson's ordeal."We need to quit just being so all-trusting of our physicians and drug companies," she said. "I do know without a shadow of a doubt if Joy Pittman had the information it takes to make an informed choice, she would have never in a million years entrusted her grandchild's life to that medication."Jason Cato . 329-4071< jcatojcato

 

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