MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — Prosecutors and law enforcement in Central Texas are running hand in hand to place an finish to the fentanyl crisis after a brand new state law began Sept. 1.
House Bill 6 states an individual is in a position to be charged with homicide if they provide or distribute fentanyl, and it ends up in a loss of life. The invoice additionally adjustments what loss of life certificate say — as a substitute of overdose, it’ll say fentanyl poisoning or toxicity.
Local leaders together with, the McLennan County District Attorney and Hewitt Police Chief, are hoping the brand new law will crack down at the fentanyl disaster. They’re adjusting to verify they be capable of take down somebody who comes underneath House Bill 6 and reasons hurt to the neighborhood.
“As far as the investigation goes, we’re going to have to approach that just like we would any other major investigation that could result in a murder charge,” stated Chief John McGrath, who has been with the City of Hewitt for round part a yr.
The police leader stated it isn’t going to be simple to paintings those circumstances as they’ll take time, assets and plenty of investigating.
“We’re still in the process of developing our policies as it relates to responding to fentanyl-related overdoses, but with the ability to charge somebody with a capital offense like murder — we have to treat that just like we would any other potential murder case,” McGrath stated. “It’s going to involve a lot of investigation, phone seizures, search warrants, things of that nature.”
It’s one thing McGrath and his division will move the gap for to offer protection to their neighborhood, save lives and put criminals at the back of bars.
“If we can prevent further deaths, whether it be through a deterrent effect or actually identifying a suspect and charging them with murder and preventing them from being able to do it again in the future — that’s a good thing,” McGrath stated.
McGrath’s division and different law enforcement businesses in McLennan County must convey a powerful case to District Attorney Josh Tetens, who will paintings for a conviction.
“If you are ready and willing to take that risk and deliver, give that to somebody else — we’re going to come at you with a murder charge,” Tetens added. “It’s not just simple possession. It is a murder charge that you’re going to be looking at.”
Tetens instructed 6 News that, with a cast case from law enforcement, it may well be simple to get the conviction as a result of the language of the law.
“This is not something that has to be intentional,” Tetens defined. “If you are delivering something that has fentanyl in it, whether you as the drug dealer know it or not, you are going to be held strictly liable for the death of that person, period.”
The law states it is for any quantity of fentanyl and Tetens stated he’s going to practice the legislative intent to save lots of lives.
“This is not a slap on the wrist,” stated Tetens. “It doesn’t matter the quantity. I think that’s something that they may not understand or grasp. It can take such a finite amount of fentanyl to actually cause the death of somebody.”
A homicide rate is a first-degree criminal that may vary from 5 to 99 years to existence.
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