(a) When a practitioner is named in a warrant of arrest or is charged in an accusatory pleading with a felony violation of Section 11153, 11154, 11156, 11157, 11170, 11173, 11350, 11351, 11352, 11353, 11353.5, 11377, 11378, 11378.5, 11379, 11379.5, or 11379.6, the court in which the accusatory pleading is filed or the magistrate who issued the warrant of arrest shall, upon the motion of a law enforcement agency which is supported by reasonable cause, issue an order which requires the practitioner to surrender to the clerk of the court all controlled substance prescription forms in the practitioner’s possession at a time set in the order and which prohibits the practitioner from obtaining, ordering, or using any additional prescription forms. The law enforcement agency obtaining the order shall notify the Department of Justice of this order. Except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (e) of this section, the order shall remain in effect until further order of the court. Any practitioner possessing prescription forms in violation of the order is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(b) The order provided by subdivision (a) shall be vacated if the court or magistrate finds that the underlying violation or violations are not supported by reasonable cause at a hearing held within two court days after the practitioner files and personally serves upon the prosecuting attorney and the law enforcement agency that obtained the order, a notice of motion to vacate the order with any affidavits on which the practitioner relies. At the hearing, the burden of proof, by a preponderance of the evidence, is on the prosecution. Evidence presented at the hearing shall be limited to the warrant of arrest with supporting affidavits, the motion to require the defendant to surrender controlled substance prescription forms and to prohibit the defendant from obtaining, ordering, or using controlled substance prescription forms, with supporting affidavits, the sworn complaint together with any documents or reports incorporated by reference thereto which, if based on information and belief, state the basis for the information, or any other documents of similar reliability as well as affidavits and counter affidavits submitted by the prosecution and defense. Granting of the motion to vacate the order is no bar to prosecution of the alleged violation or violations.
(c) The defendant may elect to challenge the order issued under subdivision (a) at the preliminary examination. At that hearing, the evidence shall be limited to that set forth in subdivision (b) and any other evidence otherwise admissible at the preliminary examination.
(d) If the practitioner has not moved to vacate the order issued under subdivision (a) by the time of the preliminary examination and he or she is held to answer on the underlying violation or violations, the practitioner shall be precluded from afterwards moving to vacate the order. If the defendant is not held to answer on the underlying charge or charges at the conclusion of the preliminary examination, the order issued under subdivision (a) shall be vacated.
(e) Notwithstanding subdivision (d), any practitioner who is diverted pursuant to Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 1000) of Title 7 of Part 2 of the Penal Code may file a motion to vacate the order issued under subdivision (a).
(f) This section shall become operative on November 1, 2004.
(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 487, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2006.)