PA Supreme Court Rejects Co-User Defense in Fatal Overdose Cases

High Court Rejects Challenge to How Pa. Treats Users Accused of Supplying Drugs in Fatal Overdoses

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined to add new legal protections for defendants accused of providing drugs that caused a deadly overdose. The decision from the state’s highest court addressed a frequent c…

PA Supreme Court rejects co-user defense in fatal overdose cases

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined to add new legal protections for defendants accused of providing drugs that caused a deadly overdose. The decision from the state’s highest court addressed a frequent criticism of overdose death prosecutions in Pennsylvania: that they target fellow drug users instead of high-level dealers. In a majority opinion issued Tuesday, justices upheld convictions in two separate drug delivery resulting…