Drug-Induced Homicide Defense Toolkit

Beety, Valena Elizabeth; Kreit, Alex; Boustead, Anne; Goulka, Jeremiah; Scott, Caitlin; Beletsky, Leo

doi:10.2139/ssrn.3265510

Drug-Induced Homicide Defense Toolkit

Ohio State Public Law Working Paper No. 467

86 Pages Posted: 11 Nov 2018 Last revised: 7 Oct 2019

See all articles by Valena Elizabeth Beety

Valena Elizabeth Beety

Arizona State University (ASU) - Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Jeremiah Goulka

Northeastern University - School of Law, Health in Justice Action Lab

Caitlin Scott

Northeastern University - School of Law, Health in Justice Action Lab

Leo Beletsky

Northeastern University - School of Law; Northeastern University - Bouvé College of Health Sciences; Division of Infectious Disease and Global Public Health, UCSD School of Medicine

Date Written: October 4, 2019

Abstract

In response to the growing opioid crisis, many prosecutors are treating overdose deaths as homicides. Since 2010, drug-induced homicide prosecutions have increased at least threefold. Criminal defense attorneys and defendants' families have asked for help in understanding these cases and how to defend them. This Toolkit, now in its second edition, is an effort to provide that help.

Keywords: drug-induced homicide, drug-induced death, drug delivery resulting in death, strict liability, DIH

JEL Classification: K14, I14, I3

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Beety, Valena Elizabeth and Kreit, Alex and Boustead, Anne and Goulka, Jeremiah and Scott, Caitlin and Beletsky, Leo, Drug-Induced Homicide Defense Toolkit (October 4, 2019). Ohio State Public Law Working Paper No. 467. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3265510 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3265510