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Browsing Post with the Tag: controlled substance

A New Law in North Carolina – Death by Distribution

Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023

Law enforcement in North Carolina is celebrating a big victory in the fight against the opioid crisis.  Effective December 1, 2023, a new law establishing more severe penalties for offenders who distribute drugs to people who end up dying in the result of the consumption of said drugs.  The punishment is a Class C Felony which carries a maximum of 231 months in prison.

The new North Carolina General Statute (N.C.G.S.) reads as follows:

§ 14-18.4. Death by distribution of certain controlled substances; aggravated death by distribution of certain controlled substances; penalties.

(a) Legislative Intent. – The General Assembly recognizes that deaths due to the opioid epidemic are devastating families and communities across North Carolina. The General Assembly finds that the opioid crisis is overwhelming medical providers engaged in the lawful distribution of controlled substances and is straining prevention and treatment efforts. Therefore, the General Assembly enacts this law to encourage effective intervention by the criminal justice system to hold illegal drug dealers accountable for criminal conduct that results in death.

(b) Death by Distribution of Certain Controlled Substances. – A person is guilty of death by distribution of certain controlled substances if all of the following requirements are met:

(1) The person unlawfully sells at least one certain controlled substance.

(2) The ingestion of the certain controlled substance or substances causes the death of the user.

(3) The commission of the offense in subdivision (1) of this subsection was the proximate cause of the victim’s death.

(4) The person did not act with malice.

(c) Aggravated Death by Distribution of Certain Controlled Substances. – A person is guilty of aggravated death by distribution of certain controlled substances if all of the following requirements are met:

(1) The person unlawfully sells at least one certain controlled substance.

(2) The ingestion of the certain controlled substance or substances causes the death of the user.

(3) The commission of the offense in subdivision (1) of this subsection was the proximate cause of the victim’s death.

(4) The person did not act with malice.

(5) The person has a previous conviction under this section, G.S. 90-95(a)(1), 90-95.1, 90-95.4, 90-95.6, or trafficking in violation of G.S. 90-95(h), or a prior conviction in any federal or state court in the United States that is substantially similar to an offense listed, within seven years of the date of the offense. In calculating the seven-year period under this subdivision, any period of time during which the person was incarcerated in a local, state, or federal detention center, jail, or prison shall be excluded.

(d) Certain Controlled Substance. – For the purposes of this section, the term “certain controlled substance” includes any opium, opiate, or opioid; any synthetic or natural salt, compound, derivative, or preparation of opium, opiate, or opioid; cocaine or any other substance described in G.S. 90-90(1)(d); methamphetamine; a depressant described in G.S. 90-92(a)(1); or a mixture of one or more of these substances.

(e) Lesser Included Offense. – Death by distribution of certain controlled substances constitutes a lesser included offense of aggravated death by distribution of certain controlled substances in violation of this section.

(f) Samaritan Protection. – Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict or interfere with the rights and immunities provided under G.S. 90-96.2.

(g) Lawful Distribution. – This section shall not apply to any of the following:

(1) Issuing a valid prescription for a controlled substance for a legitimate medical purpose by an individual practitioner acting in the usual course of professional practice.

(2) Dispensing, delivering, or administering a controlled substance pursuant to a prescription, by a pharmacy permitted under G.S. 90-85.21, a pharmacist, or an individual practitioner.

(h) Penalties. – Unless the conduct is covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, the following classifications apply to the offenses set forth in this section:

(1) Death by distribution of certain controlled substances is a Class C felony.

(2) Aggravated death by distribution of certain controlled substances is a Class B2 felony.

This new statute specifically refers to the Good Samaritan law, N.C.G.S. 90-96.2 (b) , which state as follows:

(b) Limited Immunity for Samaritan. – A person shall not be prosecuted for any of the offenses listed in subsection (c3) of this section if all of the following requirements and conditions are met:

(1) The person sought medical assistance for an individual experiencing a drug-related overdose by contacting the 911 system, a law enforcement officer, or emergency medical services personnel.

(2) The person acted in good faith when seeking medical assistance, upon a reasonable belief that he or she was the first to call for assistance.

(3) The person provided his or her own name to the 911 system or to a law enforcement officer upon arrival.

(4) The person did not seek the medical assistance during the course of the execution of an arrest warrant, search warrant, or other lawful search.

(5) The evidence for prosecution of the offenses listed in subsection (c3) of this section was obtained as a result of the person seeking medical assistance for the drug-related overdose.

Ben David, District Attorney for New Hanover and Pender County, commented about this new law as follows: “For the people who are peddling poison for profit, this sends a strong message that we are going to put you in prison for much longer for the sale of these substances and if your customers are dying from it, you’re going to prison for murder.”

By Jana H. Collins

Heroin on the Rise

Friday, March 21st, 2014

Heroin is a highly physiologically addictive narcotic derivative of morphine but has a higher potency than morphine. C.R. Alder Wright – an English chemistry and physics researcher in London – was the first to synthesize heroin in 1847. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder or as a black sticky substance, known as “black tar heroin.” The name Heroin stems from Bayer, the German Pharmaceutical Company. Bayer named the first diamorphine product Heroin and made its first fortunes in the late 1890s when it commercialized heroin as cough, cold and pain remedy.

The medical use of heroin is prohibited in the United States, because its unwanted effects, i.e. miscarriages, heart infections, and death exceed its values. Heroin however is used illicitly for its euphoric effects and its use is on the rise nationwide.

In the eastern part of North Carolina, law enforcement officials report that the use of heroin, especially amongst high school students, has increased immensely as it has not been seen in decades. For example, while the Police Department of Wilmington, NC, had 12 people arrested for carrying heroin in 2003, the number was almost twenty times as high in 2013 with 214 arrests.

The surge of heroin use appears to be the unintended side effect of the crackdown on the abuse of prescription drugs. While the crackdown on the prescription drug abuse resulted in a decrease of the illegal use of prescription drugs, it also caused some medications to become less available and thereby less affordable. Instead, many turned to a less pricy solution to get euphorically high – heroin.

Even though the use of heroin is at a historic high, experts predict that it has not yet reached the top as addicts are still to some degree able to obtain prescription drugs.

As heroin use may become more prominent in the nearer future, more people may get into a situation in which they may witness a drug related overdose that requires medical assistance. In such situations, limited immunity is extended to those, who seek medical assistance pursuant to N.C.G.S. §90-96.2.

As a heroin user, one does not only face medical and economic, but also legal consequences. Heroin is a Schedule II Controlled Substance pursuant to N.C.G.S. §90-90 (1) and its possession is punishable as a Class I felony pursuant to N.C.G.S. §90-95(a)(3). The sale of heroin is punishable as a Class G felony and the delivery or manufacture is punishable as a Class H felony pursuant to N.C.G.S. §90-95(a)(1).

If convicted of any of those charges, possible consequences are:

– Fines

– Jail or prison time

– Drug treatment/counseling

– Probation

– Difficult bread-winning

– Social stigma

– Permanent criminal record

If you or somebody you know are investigated or have been arrested or charged with a drug crime, you should seek legal counsel to examine all evidence and advise you as to whether accepting a plea deal or going to trial would be in your best interest.

If accepting a plea deal, participation in the Drug Treatment Court (hereinafter DTC) may be considered which is an intensive, highly structured program designed to identify and treat offenders whose criminal activities are generally related to substance abuse offered in 23 counties in North Carolina. Amongst those 23 counties are New Hanover and Brunswick County. In order to qualify for the participation in the DTC, the offender must:

  • be addicted to a chemical substance,
  • be willing to volunteer for the drug treatment court program, and
  • be eligible under the state’s structured sentencing system for a community or intermediate punishment as an alternative to active prison time.

The mission of the DTC is to break the cycle of drug addiction by offering the tools to stay clean. Amongst others, those tools include counseling, housing, school, and employment assistance.

At Collins Law Firm we handle drug charges in New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender County, and we have successfully defended clients against all types of drug crimes. The experienced team at Collins Law Firm is here for you – just a phone call away at 910-793-9000910-793-9000 .

By Jana H. Collins, Office Manager

NHSO – Largest Heroin Bust in History

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

On Friday, January 6, 2012 after a months long investigation by the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office (hereinafter NHSO), Vice and Narcotics Detectives seized the largest amount of heroin in NHSO history, and arrested Tierre Henderson.

The raid lead to the discovery of 300 small paper bags of heroin stamped “Breaking Dawn” and “Dream Catcher” which have a street value of more than $9,000, and diverse drug paraphernalia.

The  accused drug trafficker Tierre Henderson is now held in New Hanover County Detention Facility for four counts of possession with the intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver heroin, two counts of sale or delivery of heroin, two counts of conspiracy to trafficking in opium/heroin, four counts of  maintaining a dwelling, vehicle, or other place for the use, storage, or sale of a controlled substance, manufacture of heroin, four counts of trafficking in opium/heroin, and five counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.  He is held under a $2.5 million bond.  His next court appearance is schedule in New Hanover County District Court in Wilmington, North Carolina on January 19, 2012.

The investigation of Tierre Henderson also lead the Vice and Narcotics Detectives to Chrissy Joy Sinclair in her residence in Holly Ridge, where—with the assistance of the Holly Ridge Police Department—5.5 ounces of pure uncut heroin was seized which would produce over 15,000 bags of heroin on the streets of New Hanover County, along with drug paraphernalia, and $60,000 cash.

Chrissy Joy Sinclair is being held in the New Hanover County Detention Facility under a $1 million bond.  She is charged with five counts of conspiracy to trafficking in opium/heroin, two counts of maintaining a dwelling, vehicle, or other place for the use, storage, or sale of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.  Her next court appearance is schedule in New Hanover County District Court in Wilmington, North Carolina on January 26, 2012.

By Jana Collins, Office Manager

Drug and Alcohol Violations on the UNCW Campus

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

The UNCW newspaper, theseahawk.org, recently reported that alcohol violations were up 50% and drug violations were up 23% over the previous year. Students should be aware that if they are convicted of an alcohol or drug offense such as possession of marijuana, underage drinking or possession of an open container, a criminal conviction could remain on their record for the rest of their life. However, there are ways to avoid a conviction and Collins Law Firm has avoided convictions in hundreds if not thousands of cases involving controlled substances or alcohol.

The article also reported that burglaries are down 47% from the previous year which is good news.

Collins Law Firm is located only one mile from the UNCW campus and offers student discounts so UNCW students should feel free to call (910) 793-9000 for a consultation regarding legal matters we handle.

Back to School, or Off to College for Your First Semester

Friday, August 27th, 2010

For students, the summer is over and school is starting again. Many students will be starting college for the first time and it will be in a new environment with many challenges and temptations.

Underage drinking and use of controlled substances is common on most, if not all, college campuses.   For some law enforcement agencies, back to school means stepped-up enforcement of alcohol laws as well as general law enforcement.   This means that many students will be receiving criminal charges or citations for underage drinking or other related criminal activities including underage possession, underage consumption, and fake ID’s.   Some people do not consider these serious charges, but they are misdemeanor charges for which a conviction can mean a criminal record that can affect a person for the rest of their life with respect to getting jobs, renting apartments and otherwise.   Anyone charged with a crime should consult with an experienced criminal defense attorney.

Collins Law Firm regularly represents people who have been charged with alcohol law violations and other crimes such as possession of marijuana or other controlled substances.   In most cases for first time offenders, we are able to avoid a conviction, and court appearances are usually not necessary for defendants we represent on these type of charges.    However, in most cases, the defendant is required to perform a certain number of hours of volunteer service, or to participate in some type of educational program regarding alcohol and controlled substances, or both.

If you or someone you know has received a citation or criminal charge for an alcohol law violation or related charge, Collins Law Firm can help.  Call us at (910) 793-9000(910) 793-9000 for a free telephone consultation or make an appointment to come in for a consultation.