Last week, State Senator Justin Ready and State Delegate Chris Tomlinson (District 5 – Carroll County / Frederick County) held a press conference in advance of presenting SB1075/HB1245 – legislation in House and Senate hearings to crack down on fentanyl dealers and give them up to 20 years in jail when they distribute heroin/fentanyl causing serious bodily injury or leading to death. Maryland currently has no real way to charge these dealers with manslaughter when they sell this poison in our communities.
Ready and Tomlinson were joined by the families of several victims who lost their lives at the hands of fentanyl and in all cases, the dealers who sold them the poison got little to no jail time at all because all they could charge with was possession or drug dealing. Carroll County Sheriff Jim DeWees, State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker, and other law enforcement officials from around Maryland attended the press conference as well. This legislation has wide, bipartisan support according to recent polling. There are a number of cosponsors from both parties on these bills.
Here are details about the legislation (SB1075): Sponsored by Senators Ready, Benson, and Corderman
Criminal Law – Distribution of Heroin or Fentanyl Causing Serious Bodily Injury or Death (Victoria and Scottie’s Law)
Prohibiting an individual from distributing heroin or fentanyl or chemical analogues of heroin or fentanyl, the use of which results in the death or serious bodily injury of another.
View the full details: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB1075
This legislation has received additional press this week, which you can view by clicking the links below:
WBAL – https://www.wbaltv.com/
Baltimore Sun – https://www.baltimoresun.com/
WMAR Channel 2 – https://www.wmar2news.com/
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