A defense attorney who sent a letter to the employer of a medical malpractice plaintiff’s expert said she should not be sanctioned because lawyers frequently discuss local physicians who testify as experts, especially if they “go out there and espouse a new standard of care.”

Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Jacqueline F. Allen said she plans to rule on the motion for sanctions within seven days because the case is scheduled to go to trial for a second time next month.