Fentanyl is the top killer of adults ages 18 to 45 and is even more deadly than car crashes and suicide. In Texas, there was a 400 percent increase in the number of fentanyl-related deaths between 2019 and 2021. Current government officials are taking action to stop this trend by allowing prosecutors to charge opioid dealers with murder.
Here are some of the most critical things surrounding this action and how defendants can protect themselves.
Murder charges against fentanyl dealers
A recent Texas bill, House Bill 6, allows prosecutors to charge drug dealers with murder if they sell clients fentanyl-laced opioids. That means that prosecutors will not only be able to charge dealers with just possession but murder as well. Now when a medical examiner completes a death certificate, they will have to note that it was fentanyl poisoning, not toxicity, allowing prosecutors to charge dealers.
Defending against the bill
Fentanyl has made taking opioids more dangerous than ever. Even a small dose can be deadly. If you are facing charges of selling drugs laced with fentanyl, there is still a chance to have the charges dismissed. There are technicalities that can cause the court to dismiss a case, such as the lack of differentiation between opium and opiates.
The new HB 6 presents an additional level of consequences to consider when you are facing such drug charges. It is important to gather all of the facts and build a solid defense for your case, especially if the details include a person who may have died from a fentanyl overdose.