Lawyer For Prince’s Alleged Addiction Specialist Speaks Out; Hopes Good Samaritan Laws Protect Andrew Kornfeld

Questions have been circulating about who Dr. Howard Kornfeld is and how he treats patients since Wednesday when news broke that his son — who is not a licensed physician — was scheduled to meet with Prince the morning of his death. Andrew Kornfeld reportedly had medications in his bag when he arrived at the singer's Paisley Park complex on April 21, which lead many to suspect foul play. Now, a lawyer is defending the doctor and his son, claiming their methods are legitimate for addiction treatment.

In a press release on Wednesday the Kornfeld’s attorney, William Mauzy, confirmed that Andrew was inside Prince’s mansion on the morning that he died. Mauzy added that Andrew did have a small amount of Suboxone on him when he discovered Prince in the complex. This fact was previously disclosed to another outlet, though it was not clear until now why Andrew had the drug on him. According to Mauzy he was transporting the drug to a local doctor and none was given to Prince by him or his father. As such, Mauzy said he was hopeful Andrew would be protected under Minnesota’s Good Samaritan law. The lawyer claimed that Andrew’s sole purpose in visiting Prince’s home was to describe his father’s outpatient addiction treatment facility — Recovery Without Walls — to the “When Doves Cry” singer.

A statement released via Facebook by Howard’s practice claimed that the doctor is a “nationally recognized expert” on addiction and the use of “buprenorphine,” which is an ingredient in Suboxone. The Facebook statement said that buprenorphine alone is used to reverse the effects of opiates and manage pain.

Prince’s sudden death is being investigated by the Carver County Sheriff’s department in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and DEA. According to a statement released by the Minnesota police branch on Wednesday, they are looking into reports that the Grammy winner may have died from an overdose. They stated the investigation was ongoing and refused to release further info at the time.

The “Purple Rain” singer is said to have been struggling with addiction to both painkillers — namely Percocet — and cocaine. According to TMZ, Prince was seen visiting a pharmacy on April 20, the day before his death. Store clerks claimed they were concerned for him as he appeared frail. Prince’s lawyer has refuted any and all claims that the singer was battling substance abuse issues, insisting he lived a clean and healthy lifestyle.