ST. LOUIS. – There was a shocker in federal court Tuesday that arose from allegations made by an accused former pediatrician. 

Craig Spiegel faces 24 federal charges involving dozens of alleged victims—adult women the feds allege Spiegel met because he was their pediatrician.

In a motion to suppress hearing, defense attorney T.J. Matthes alleged the case was poison from the start with a violation of Spiegel’s fourth amendment rights.

“They were violated based on an investigation that took place after a false claim was made,” Matthes said.

He told a judge that an alleged victim from Spiegel’s former office was texting Spiegel at the same time as she was complaining to police.

“As she’s making these allegations, she’s texting him in the middle of the interview and asking him for money,” Matthes said.

Prosecutor Amy Sestric argued in a court filing responding to the motion to suppress.

“…Every step of the way, law enforcement acted in good faith, relying on reasonable evaluations of the evidence, on search warrants containing facts that had been reviewed and signed by judicial officers,” Sestric said.

That initial complaint led to Spiegel signing a consent to search his cell phone, which led to the alleged discovery of inappropriate contact with many other victims. 

Matthes argues his client was coerced to sign that consent.

“He could either sign a consent form or he could forego signing that form in which case the officers told him they were going to have to hang onto his phone for months. Now this is a phone that he needs. He needs it for his practice,” Matthes said.

Sestric, however, argues that Spiegel’s consent was “clearly voluntary.”

“He was over 65 years old at the time of his consent and was highly educated, having a medical doctor degree. He also was in a noncustodial setting, as he was being released at the time of his consent,” Sestric said.

The judge is considering the arguments as the case is scheduled for trial and as civil law firms — Onder Law in St. Louis – and nationally known Ben Crump’s firm — are suing Spiegel on behalf of former patients.

Defendant Spiegel took extensive notes during the hearing after asking the judge to have one hand free from his shackles. 

He’s currently being held in a Phelps County jail and has surrendered his license to practice medicine.