Preliminary Hearing Set Feb. 26 For Oklahoma Doctor

An Oklahoma County judge has scheduled a preliminary hearing for Feb. 26 for a former doctor facing murder and drug distribution charges in the deaths of patients from what authorities say were prescription drug overdoses.

Special Judge Susan Johnson scheduled the hearing Thursday for Dr. William Valuck, who was arrested in December in Texas and is being held in the Oklahoma County Jail.

Johnson also appointed the Oklahoma County Public Defender's Office to represent Valuck after he testified that he had no financial assets and could not hire an attorney.

An affidavit says federal and state authorities have been investigating Valuck since January 2013. Authorities say eight of Valuck's patients died of overdoses of the drugs he was prescribing to them. Another patient allegedly caused a fatal traffic accident.