Summary
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's 2019 decision overturned an involuntary manslaughter conviction stemming from heroin distribution. The court determined that the mere act of distributing heroin, in and of itself, does not constitute the "wanton or reckless" conduct necessary for such a conviction. Crucially, prosecution requires demonstrable evidence indicating the defendant's awareness of a substantial and justifiable risk of overdose resulting from their actions.
Summary
The 2019 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) overturned an involuntary manslaughter conviction. The court found that simply distributing heroin does not, in itself, constitute "wanton or reckless" conduct under the law. To secure a conviction, the prosecution must demonstrate that the defendant knew or should have known that an overdose was a likely outcome of their actions.
Summary
A 2019 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) case overturned an involuntary manslaughter conviction. The court decided that simply providing heroin isn't enough to prove someone acted recklessly, leading to someone's death. Prosecutors need to show the defendant knew the person was likely to overdose.
Summary
In 2019, a Massachusetts court threw out a conviction for involuntary manslaughter. The court said that simply giving someone heroin isn't enough to prove someone acted recklessly and caused a death. There needs to be proof the person giving the heroin knew the other person was likely to overdose.