<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, you thought you were just having a house party. But somebody overdosed and now, you might be charged with murder? This scenario is hard to fathom, yet entirely possible.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">People are entertaining at home more often, and unfortunately, some partygoers don&#8217;t know where to draw the line. Yes, you can be charged, even when the death was unintentional. If you were in the same room with someone who took an accidental overdose and subsequently passed away, it could be considered your fault legally.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Laws vary from state to state, but delivering or distributing drugs is not only limited to selling them. These terms can be an umbrella for giving drugs away, sharing them, or purchasing drugs and then having a partygoer pay you back.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">New Laws Enacted in 2019: Homicide Charges Following an Overdose</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Increasingly, accidental overdoses are treated as homicides, and the people who provided the drugs are charged with manslaughter or murder. </span><a href="https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2019/Bills/House/PDF/H474v6.pdf"><span style="font-weight: 400;">North Carolina&#8217;s new Death by Distribution law</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> treats such an overdose as second-degree homicide. The charge carries a sentence of up to 40 years in prison for a class B2 felony.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The legislators behind the bill, including Governor Roy Cooper, hope that the tough measure will curb the opioid epidemic. But critics of the new Death by Distribution Act fear that the law could prevent people from seeking help when someone has overdosed. </span><a href="https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_90/GS_90-96.2.pdf"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Good Samaritan laws</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are also on the books in North Carolina.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">911 Good Samaritan legislation states that anyone who witnesses an overdose can seek help for the victim and will not be prosecuted for possession of a small amount of drugs or paraphernalia. The measure is meant to encourage people to call 911, and seek medical help for overdose victims without fear of legal repercussions. But some legislators have expressed concern that North Carolina&#8217;s recent law will increase fear, and deter bystanders from calling for assistance.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Social Media Plays a Role</span></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With everyone on Facebook or SnapChat, prosecutors are making easy work of getting convictions. There have been cases where the person reporting the overdose may have not even touched the money that transferred hands during the drug deal, but used messenger or some other app to make all of the arrangements. In legal terms, that person is party to a crime, which puts them at risk for being convicted of reckless homicide.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most overdose deaths are attributed to opioids. In many cases, these drugs are prescribed by a doctor, and may induce the addiction that follows the substance&#8217;s legal medical use.</span></p>
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<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Opioid FAQs</span></h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Between 1999 through 2016, more than 12,000 North Carolina residents died from overdoses related to opioids, according to the </span><a href="https://www.hhs.gov/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Department of Health and Human Services</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&#8217;s estimated that 79% of overdose deaths were opioid-related in 2018.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The number of unintentional overdose deaths involving opioids more than doubled in the past 10 years, according to the </span><a href="https://schs.dph.ncdhhs.gov/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2017, North Carolina released it&#8217;s Opioid Action Plan to combat the crisis.</span></li>
</ul>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Protecting Your Legal Rights</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you are socializing, and somebody in the room dies from an overdose, it&#8217;s imperative to protect your legal rights by calling a criminal lawyer. </span><a href="https://www.chetson.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Attorneys at the Chetson Firm</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are experienced with overdose laws.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The rules have changed, and what may have been true a few years ago, may not hold true now. Don&#8217;t rely on the advice of friends or hearsay from others. If you suspect you could be charged with a serious crime, the first thing to do is call a competent attorney.</span></p>

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