VIRGINIA CITY -- Former Ennis doctor James S. Bischoff, 46, made his initial appearance in Madison County justice court Tuesday morning.

During the 15-minute hearing, in which Bischoff was apprised of the charges of deliberate homicide and three felony drug counts, an orange jumpsuit-clad Bischoff sat with his arms crossed, sometimes shaking his head, sometimes sneering and sometimes holding his eyes closed.

Bischoff is charged with the apparent mercy killing of an 85-year-old woman in 2000 as well as charges of fraudulent obtainment, possession and illegal distribution of prescription drugs.

The Drug Enforcement Agency suspended his federally controlled substance registration in June after a year-long investigation. He allegedly ordered 48,000 doses of narcotics from a wholesale drug distributor without documenting who they were for, according to court records. He later returned 16,000 doses of the drugs, but the remainder are not accounted for. Bischoff's medical license was suspended Aug. 5.

Bischoff initially balked at making his initial appearance before Acting Justice of the Peace Karen Flick.

Standing at the doorway into the courtroom, Bischoff told law enforcement officials he didn't know what the hearing was about and that he hadn't talked to his attorney. He asked to make a phone call. He was led back downstairs. Bischoff later returned to listen to the charges.

The hearing is due process and required because Bischoff is being held in the county jail on the charges. The county is required to inform anyone charged with a crime about the nature of the charges within 48 hours of arrest.

Bischoff turned himself into the Madison County Sheriff's Office on Monday. He is being held on $1 million bond on the homicide charge and $25,000 for drug charges.

The bond was set at those levels after county officials learned that Bischoff was expecting to inherit $16 million in the near future.

Bischoff asked about the potential for a bail reduction hearing. He also wanted to know that because he'd employed District Judge Loren Tucker years ago as an attorney and paid him ''a little over $10,000" as well as contributing to his election campaign, if that would amount to a conflict of interest.

Madison County Attorney Bob Zenker asked Flick to add conditions to Bischoff's bail that he not have any contact with Ken and Connie Sciuchetti or any of the witnesses listed on the charging documents.

At the conclusion of the hearing, Bischoff walked up to Madison County Sheriff Dave Schenk and said ''I'd like to report a homicide." He was then taken back downstairs to the jail.