Drugs ruin lives. Drug charges can too. Courts in Michigan treat allegations of drug use seriously, especially when misuse results in the death of another. Sometimes that death comes as a result of violence. Other times the drugs themselves are the cause of the fatality.
Addiction is debilitating, often causing the victim to do things they would not otherwise do if they were sober. An addicted person goes to great lengths to get the drugs on which they are hooked, stopping at practically nothing to get what they need. Drugs also cloud the mind and judgment of the user, leading them to make decisions and take actions others may see as wrong and sometimes criminal. When those errors result in the death of another person, the criminal courts may become involved.
A 46-year-old East Jordan woman has been charged with delivery of a controlled substance causing death, which is a felony. If she is convicted, she could be ordered to serve a sentence of life in prison. According to police, on March 2, the defendant left the Traverse City rehabilitation center with another woman who gave her a ride home. The two had spent five days at the facility together.
That night, the women watched movies, and the victim fell asleep on the living room floor. The defendant went to out for lunch the following day. According to police reports the defendant gave the victim at least one morphine pill at some point during the course of their time together.
When she returned she discovered the victim unresponsive, still on the living room floor, apparently in the same position from the previous night.
There is no claim that the woman intentionally caused the victim’s death. Still, she must now focus her attention on preparing a defense to the drug charges, and any others that may result from a police investigation. An experienced attorney knowledgeable in criminal law as it applies in Michigan to drug fatalities may offer some solace and understanding as the woman confronts the accusations.
Source: Potoskey News, “East Jordan woman faces drug death charge,” Sheri Mcwhirter, July 26, 2011
