Fentanyl Arrest Made

fentanyl arrest madeThe long arm of the law is also a patient arm of the law.  News reports are focusing on Fentanyl issues.  In a recent story, the defendant was allegedly involved in a fatal, drug overdose involving heroin laced with fentanyl in April, 2018.  He was later indicted on drug trafficking charges, but didn’t appear in court.  He’s been on the run since October of 2018.  The authorities, including the US Marshals and DEA agents, made the arrest on April 8th, 2019.  According to reports, the defendant now faces state and federal charges (Yes, he can be prosecuted for the same crime in both state and federal court because the state and federal courts are separate sovereigns).

As a Louisville criminal defense attorney handling drug charges, I can tell you that fentanyl arrests are happening much more frequently.  The local, state and federal authorities are doing everything possible to deal with this drug.

Now, regardless of your personal opinion on the drug epidemic, we also have a problem with overzealous policing and illegal tactics.  Once we, as a society turn our collective heads as Constitutional rights are violated and legal processes are ignored, we end up encouraging it to happen for other types of charges.

If we fail to stand up for the basic rights and protected freedoms, we risk losing them.  Sure, in this case a fentanyl arrest made our streets safer, but what happens if authorities begin cutting legal corners in other areas, for lesser crimes?

We still have the presumption of innocence.  We are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.  I’ve built my career on that very principle.  You might find yourself or a family member facing charges and a potential conviction, regardless of your right to due process.

Should you or a family member face criminal charges, even if it doesn’t involve a fentanyl arrest, contact a skilled, criminal defense attorney.  The deck may already be stacked against you, I’ve been known to pull an ace from my sleeve from time to time.