Drug-Induced Homicide Defense Toolkit, by Health in Justice Action Lab

Page 42

Drug Induced Homicide Defense Toolkit

ii.

Toxicology as a tool

With or without an autopsy, toxicology testing should be performed to identify and quantify any substances in the body. Some coroner or ME offices may rule a death an overdose based on the results from a rapid drug test. However, screening tests alone provide incomplete evidence, as these types of screens are subject to both false positives and false negatives123--especially for opioids and benzodiazepines.124 Follow-up toxicology is incredibly valuable, particularly in a state requiring but-for causation. Toxicology results are essential in determining the cause of death, and counsel are highly recommended to consult a competent expert because toxicology results must be interpreted in the context of the circumstances surrounding death, the medical history, the scene of the death, and the autopsy findings.125 Knowledge of “human physiology and

123

Manon Ceelen et al., Post-mortem Toxicological Urine Screening in Cause of Death Determination, 30 Hum Exp Toxicol. 1165, 1171 (2011), https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21084528/. 124

Gary M. Reisfield et al., 'False-positive' and 'False-Negative' Test Results in Clinical Urine Drug Testing, 1 Bioanalysis, 937-52 (2009), https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21083064/. 125

Jonathan G. Thompson et al., Free Oxycodone Concentrations in 67 Postmortem Cases from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, 32 Journal of Analytical Toxicology 673, 679 (2008), https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19007520/; See also Hilke Andresen et al., Fentanyl: Toxic or Therapeutic? Postmortem and Antemortem Blood Concentrations After Transdermal Fentanyl Application, 36 Journal of Analytical Toxicology 182, 188 (2012), https://academic.oup.com/jat/article/36/3/182/887968.

Disclaimer: All content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice

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D. Secondary sources

26min
pages 120-144

c. Illinois

1min
page 119

b. Wisconsin

1min
page 118

a. Pennsylvania

3min
pages 116-117

VIII. FINALTHOUGHTS: HUMANIZING THE DEFENDANTAND USING PERSON-AFFIRMING LANGUAGE

4min
pages 110-113

F. The questionable strict liability approach

4min
pages 104-106

G. Better approaches to the overdose crisis

3min
pages 107-109

E. DIH prosecutions do not reduce drug use or drug crime

7min
pages 99-103

treatment

1min
page 98

C. Jail and prison actually increases the risk of overdose and death D. DIH prosecutions hinder law enforcement efforts to connect users with

6min
pages 94-97

B. DIH enforcement actually reduces help-seeking, thereby increasing the risk that people will die from overdose

10min
pages 87-93

A. DIH statutes purport to target major traffickers, but prosecutions target co-users and small-scale sellers

5min
pages 83-86

3. Apps

2min
pages 80-81

1. Contents and metadata

2min
pages 75-76

E. Cell phone searches and Carpenter

1min
page 74

2. Location tracking

4min
pages 77-79

B. Denial of MOUD to inmates may violate the ADA or Rehabilitation Act

2min
pages 71-72

V. SENTENCING AND MITIGATION

2min
pages 67-68

acquisition requirement

1min
page 60

D. Arguing for a broad application of the joint-user rule based on distinguishing users from sellers

3min
pages 65-66

B. Application to drug-induced homicide prosecutions

4min
pages 53-55

b. Query determination of manner of death as accident or homicide for evidence of bias

8min
pages 45-50

a. The constructive possession doctrine

3min
pages 61-63

1. Decisions requiring physical presence

1min
page 57

C. Analyzing the simultaneous acquisition requirement

1min
page 56

2. Decisions not requiring physical presence

3min
pages 58-59

ii. Toxicology as a tool

3min
pages 42-44

2. Proximate causation and foreseeability

3min
pages 26-27

3. Intervening cause limitation

2min
pages 28-29

3. Consider the state official’s expertise

6min
pages 34-37

pathologist/medical examiner

1min
page 31

B. Challenging the scientific evidence

1min
page 30

“but-for” testimony

2min
pages 32-33

1. But-for causation

10min
pages 18-25

i. Autopsy as a tool

2min
pages 40-41
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