Burlington County authorities recently filed charges against an individual for allegedly selling fentanyl-laced cocaine to a college student. Additionally, the authorities claim the substance caused the student to overdose and die. Furthermore, an autopsy apparently determined the death was caused by fentanyl toxicity, per the government. Indeed, a grand jury indicted the individual on a charge of strict liability for drug-induced deaths. Moreover, the indictment includes five counts of possessing or distributing drugs.

Meanwhile in Ocean County, authorities charged a teenager with selling the fatal dose of heroin and fentanyl to a Toms River man. Additionally, the authorities claim this defendant supplied the lethal heroin and fentanyl found in the victim’s system. Consequently, the individual faces a charge of strict liability for drug-induced deaths, per the County Prosecutor.

Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Deaths

Subsection a.

Any person who manufactures, distributes or dispenses methamphetamine, lysergic acid diethylamide, phencyclidine or any other controlled dangerous substance classified in Schedules I or II, or any controlled substance analog thereof, in violation of subsection a. of N.J.S. 2C:35-5, is strictly liable for a death which results from the injection, inhalation or ingestion of that substance, and is guilty of a crime of the first degree.

Subsection b.

The provisions of N.J.S. 2C:2-3 (governing the causal relationship between conduct and result) shall not apply in a prosecution under this section. For purposes of this offense, the defendant’s act of manufacturing, distributing or dispensing a substance is the cause of a death when:

1. The injection, inhalation or ingestion of the substance is an antecedent but for which the death would not have occurred; and
2. The death was not:
   1. too remote in its occurrence as to have a just bearing on the defendant’s liability; or
   2. too dependent upon conduct of another person which was unrelated to the injection, inhalation or ingestion of the substance or its effect as to have a just bearing on the defendant’s liability.

Subsection c.

It shall not be a defense to a prosecution under this section that the decedent contributed to his own death by his purposeful, knowing, reckless or negligent injection, inhalation or ingestion of the substance, or by his consenting to the administration of the substance by another.

Subsection d.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude or limit any prosecution for homicide. Notwithstanding the provisions of N.J.S. 2C:1-8 or any other provision of law, a conviction arising under this section shall not merge with a conviction for leader of narcotics trafficking network, maintaining or operating a controlled dangerous substance production facility, or for unlawfully manufacturing, distributing, dispensing or possessing with intent to manufacture, distribute or dispense the controlled dangerous substance or controlled substance analog which resulted in the death.

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