MOBILE, Ala. — Alabama regulators have suspended the medical license of Dr. Shawn Clark, the Mobile neurosurgeon charged with child pornography offenses in Mobile and Baldwin counties. The Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama voted Wednesday morning, Sept. 23, to suspend Clark’s license, which bars him from practicing medicine in the state while the case moves forward.
The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners asked for the suspension. An attorney for the board said the board believes Clark poses an imminent risk to patients. The suspension can last up to 120 days, and the commission will now schedule a hearing on the board’s request to revoke Clark’s license permanently.
Clark, 59, has not been convicted of any crime. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges filed in Mobile County and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Why the Board Acted Before a Criminal Verdict
Wilson Hunter, an attorney for the Board of Medical Examiners, said the board moved quickly because of what it had learned about the case.
“Because of the nature of the charges and the evidence that the board was apprised to and privy to, we believe that this is the best action we can take to protect the public,” Hunter said.
Hunter said the board is not relying only on the criminal case. A felony conviction would violate the Medical Practice Act, but Clark has not been convicted, so the board is pursuing other grounds for discipline.
“We’re proceeding on different theories that we’re able to pursue. It is a violation of the Medical Practice Act to be convicted of a felony. However, we’re pursuing charges of unprofessional conduct, loss of his hospital privileges, and a theory that he’s currently unsafe to practice due to a mental or physical disease,” Hunter said.
Those grounds do not depend on how the criminal case ends. The upcoming revocation hearing will be an administrative proceeding before the commission, not a criminal trial, and it will decide only whether Clark may keep his license.
How Physician Discipline Works in Alabama
Alabama splits physician oversight between two related state bodies. The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners reviews complaints and investigates doctors, using investigators trained in medical cases. When the board finds enough grounds, it files formal allegations with the Medical Licensure Commission and asks for restrictions, revocation or other action.
The commission holds hearings on physician licenses and has the legal power to suspend, revoke or restrict them. When the board believes a doctor’s conduct endangers public safety, it can ask the commission for a summary suspension, which takes the license away until the full case can be heard. That is the step taken in Clark’s case on Wednesday.
Key points about the process:
- A licensing case is separate from a criminal case and uses a different standard of proof.
- The board does not have to wait for a criminal verdict before seeking to restrict a license.
- A suspension or revocation is not a finding of criminal guilt.
- Appeals of commission decisions go to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals.
State medical board records show Clark was first licensed to practice medicine in Alabama on April 25, 2001. He ran his own practice, Clark Neurosurgery & Spine, on Airport Boulevard in Mobile.
The Criminal Charges in Two Counties
Clark faces 14 criminal charges across the two counties.
- Mobile County: five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of production of child pornography.
- Baldwin County: four counts of possession of child pornography.
Clark was arrested Sept. 3 while on his way to work. That day, deputies with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office served search warrants at his Fairhope home and at his Mobile medical office. Authorities said the investigation began with a cyber tip in March to the sheriff’s office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, and that FBI agents worked the case with county investigators.
Mobile County investigators say the material includes images of actual teenage girls as well as AI-generated material. Alabama’s 2024 Child Protection Act made it illegal to create or share AI-generated sexual depictions of children.
The charges are split between counties because of where the alleged conduct and evidence were found. Clark’s home is in Fairhope, in Baldwin County, and his practice is in Mobile County. In Alabama, each county’s district attorney handles offenses alleged within that county, so the two cases move through separate courts on separate schedules.
Bond, Jail and Court Dates
A Mobile County judge set bond at $450,000 on the 10 Mobile County charges. Clark was arraigned in Mobile County on Sept. 8 and pleaded not guilty to all 10. He posted bond and was released from Mobile Metro Jail on Sept. 14, then was booked into the Baldwin County jail about an hour later on the four Baldwin County possession charges.
He remains in the Baldwin County jail on a $400,000 bond. Clark was hospitalized after what the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office described as an apparent suicide attempt in his cell on Sept. 17. The sheriff’s office says he returned to the jail Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 22, and is on suicide watch.
Upcoming court dates:
- Oct. 6: preliminary hearing on the Baldwin County charges.
- Oct. 13: preliminary hearing on the Mobile County charges.
A preliminary hearing is where a judge decides whether there is probable cause to send the charges to a grand jury. It is not a trial, and no verdict is reached.
Defense Focused on Bond
Clark is represented by attorney Christine Hernandez. She said her office has not yet had a chance to investigate the charges and is focused for now on getting his Baldwin County bond lowered.
“He’s much better, talking fine, very much aware of what’s going on, has been very helpful in communicating with me,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said Clark’s wife filed for divorce after his arrest, which has made it harder to raise bond money. Court records previously showed the divorce was filed six days after his Sept. 3 booking. The divorce is a civil case and is separate from the criminal charges.
“His assets are not accessible at this moment in time,” Hernandez said.
What Happens Next
The license and criminal cases will proceed separately. The commission’s suspension keeps Clark from practicing for up to 120 days while it schedules a hearing on revocation. At that hearing, the Board of Medical Examiners will present its case for unprofessional conduct, loss of hospital privileges and unfitness to practice, and Clark will have a chance to respond.
In criminal court, the Baldwin County and Mobile County preliminary hearings next month will be the next public steps. Prosecutors must prove any charge beyond a reasonable doubt to obtain a conviction.
If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day by calling or texting 988.