Westchester DA voices concern over heroin use

In an Op-ed for the White Plains Daily Voice, Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore expressed her concern about the perceived impact that heroin has on the lives of Westchester citizens. After stating that heroin use is on the rise all around the country—a claim she supports with data from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the National Institute in Drug Abuse—Difiore points to the “911 Good Samaritan” law in New York that allows people to seek immediate care for anyone overdosing from drugs or alcohol without fear of legal repercussions for lesser possession crimes.

Though DiFiore suggests that her department will do what they can to help educate people about the dangers of drug addiction, she ends the piece by reasserting her department’s commitment to prosecuting individuals suspected of heroin-related criminal activity. Given her stated concern about the substance, it is reasonable to assume that law enforcement will be devoting additional resources to address the issue. As such, there is likely to be a greater number of heroin-related arrests in the coming months.

With this increase in attention on heroin-related crimes, Westchester law enforcement could be overzealous when pursuing drug charges. As such, if you have recently been charged with a heroin-related crime in Westchester, you should speak with a drug crime attorney at Portale Randazzo LLP, as early on in the legal process as you can. Though these charges are serious, our Westchester legal team can help you develop a comprehensive legal defense against those charges. To speak with a criminal defense attorney in Westchester about the particulars of your charges, please call our Westchester offices at (914) 292-3557 today.