11th Circ. Says Stolen Drugs Theory Can't Undo Life Terms - Law360
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When a drug dealer's associate dies of an overdose, who bears legal responsibility — and does it matter if the drugs were stolen first? The Eleventh Circuit's divided ruling exposes a fault line in causation theory and criminal liability.
Proximate CausationCriminal Liability TheoryIntervening Cause DoctrineStrict Liability
Theory Briefing
- A narcotics dealer received a double life sentence after an associate's overdose death, even though the drugs may have been stolen before use.
- The Eleventh Circuit's divided ruling hinged on proximate causation — whether the dealer's supply chain was the legal cause of death despite an intervening act.
- The dissent signals deep disagreement on how far criminal liability can stretch when an independent act breaks the causal chain.