A proposed bill in Tennessee could grant district attorneys the authority to pursue second-degree murder charges against individuals involved in the distribution of fentanyl, which leads to the death of another person.
Senate Bill 1754 has successfully passed the Senate Judiciary Committee and is now set to proceed to Finance, Ways and Means for further consideration.
“I had the opportunity to visit the Texas border and witness firsthand the source of the fentanyl that we are intercepting in Tennessee,” revealed Senator Adam Lowe, a Republican from Calhoun. During my conversations with border patrol agents, I discovered that there is an additional layer to this crisis that hasn’t reached Tennessee yet. It leaves us with the pressing question: what further actions can we take? It is imperative that we tackle the issue of fentanyl trafficking head-on and adopt a firm stance against its presence in our state of Tennessee.”
According to a fiscal note, the state would incur $2.4 million in increased incarceration costs due to the bill. However, Lowe is confident that he has found a way to finance the bill within this year’s Tennessee budget.
According to Lowe, Tennessee ranks second in the United States in terms of fentanyl overdoses. He strongly believes that the I-75 corridor serves as a significant hub for the distribution of this dangerous drug.
Under the law, individuals can face prosecution for drug distribution as well as second-degree murder.
Geotracking services can be utilized to locate and bring legal action against distributors who cross county lines.
According to Stephen D. Crump from the state district attorney’s conference, the new law brings about a significant distinction. Under this law, murder charges related to distribution will be prosecuted under the drug statute rather than the homicide statute.
According to him, it is crucial as some jurors may get confused or hold philosophical disagreements when it comes to categorizing death due to distribution as homicide.
According to Crump, implementing this change will significantly decrease the obstacles faced in prosecuting such cases, ultimately leading to the imprisonment of murderers.
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