Lawyer: No plea deal at this time for wrestler's doctor

That's the title of an associated press article you will find behind the cut:

ATLANTA (AP) - A lawyer for the personal doctor to pro wrestler Chris Benoit said today his client has no plans at this time to plead guilty to improperly
prescribing medication to two other patients, but he didn't rule out the idea down the road.

Manny Arora, Doctor Phil Astin's attorney, told The Associated Press today "There will be no plea of this unless that is the appropriate thing to do based
on the case, and we have no evidence that that is the case."

A federal magistrate judge today scheduled a pretrial conference in Astin's case for July 19th and asked both sides to, among other things, "confer regarding
the probable disposition of the case." The judge also wrote that he wants the sides to come to the hearing prepared to discuss the "probability of disposition
of the case without trial."

Arora said that is a standard request by a judge. He said he needs documents and other evidence gathered by federal prosecutors before moving forward in
the case. Arora suggested he may ask for a postponement of the hearing if he doesn't get some materials before then.

He said "I can't talk about a disposition until I actually see what the evidence is."

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, Patrick Crosby, declined to comment today on whether that office would consider a plea deal in the Astin case.

Astin was charged last week with improperly prescribing medications to two patients, but not Benoit. More charges are possible later. Astin pleaded not
guilty at his first court appearance.