Legal Consequences from Drug-Related Homicides Vary Widely from County to County
Monday, June 2nd, 2014 -- 9:39 AM
-Wisconsin prosecutors are becoming more aggressive about targeting drug-related homicides, but a media analysis finds that the legal consequences vary widely from county to county.According to a new report, offenders in some counties serve a decade or more in prison while offenders in a neighboring county aren't even charged. And of those who are convicted, some are sentenced to nine months in jail while others get 12 years.
The counties that have been especially aggressive about filing charges include Waukesha, Fond du Lac and La Crosse counties.
Some prosecutors say they'd charge more drug suppliers, but sometimes it's hard to prove who provided the dose that caused the death. In other cases, police don't always think to immediately investigate deaths as drug-related, making prosecution more challenging.
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