I am a prosecutor who deals with opioid cases, AMA

I am a prosecutor in a major city dealing with a litany of opioid cases. I have been a prosecutor for about 10 years and have dealt with a broad spectrum of cases from gangs, homicides, drugs, sex assault, and now opioid cases.<br><br>I am here to answer questions, provide clarifications, and provide recommendations. I believe that this is an educational opportunity for both you and myself. This is also a good time to connect with the drug subculture because I feel that I have lived in a bubble for so long.<br><br>The reason why I am here is because on a recent case I prosecuted, the defendant said that the only reason why he is selling in my city is because the police in my city do not go after fentanyl dealers, but the police in the next city over aggressively go after them. This was a time for reflection. He was right. Police in my city do not go after suppliers, we go after the users. If we get suppliers, it is usually random. It’s an arrest here, an arrest there. Part of it has to do with the fact that we are busy; part of it is that we lack the resources. But that does not mean that we should not try harder.<br><br>Another thing that occurred to me was when I was reviewing a case for sentencing. I noticed that the suspect took the case to trial, and he lost. Because he lost, he received a pretty harsh sentence. This made me think, why would he take this case to trial? He could have received a shorter sentence, but he took it to trial. I read the police report, and it was done perfectly. Everything was in line. Everything was collected, everything was done correctly, and there was a lot of evidence. But, the evidence did not add up. I reread the police report, and the evidence did not add up. The police report said that they recovered 2 grams of heroin, but then it said that the lab identified 5 grams. Wait, what? As a prosecutor, I would have never caught this had I not been looking for it. I would have never caught this had I not doubted myself, my abilities, and my cases. <br><br>I urge my fellow prosecutors, police, and judges to doubt themselves, their work, and their abilities. We are the ones who seek to deprive a person of their liberty. The burden is on us to make sure that we are right. We need to doubt ourselves. We need to doubt our work. We need to be critical of our work. We need to criticize each other’s work. We are the ones with the burden of proof. Let’s bear that burden heavily.<br><br>One last thing. I am 39 years old, and I grew up in the 90’s. Back in my day, we didn’t have the internet, cell phones (at least the way it is now), facebook, chambers, etc. I am proceeding in the dark. That is why I am here. I know you guys may think that I am here to get an easy conviction, but my city has some of the lowest sentences for drugs in the country. We also have drug and mental health court, and we are working on opening reuse centers and opening up services to deal with addition.<br><br>But I also understand if you don’t want to talk to me. I understand that I am part of a system that has abused its power and has damaged the drug subculture. This is not to be taken lightly. This is a big deal. I know this history; I understand the animosity; I understand the distrust; and I understand why you don’t want to talk to me. <br><br>But the reason why I am here is because I also see myself as part of the solution. And the reason why I am here is to find common ground. Common ground is what unites people, and common ground is what leads to the best solutions. I want to get to know this subculture, and I want this subculture to get to know me. I want to build bridges, and I want to build trust. <br><br>And if you still are leery of talking, I completely understand. So, I will talk, and maybe that will help build bridges and trust with you, and maybe, just maybe, we can make the system better, fairer, and more just for everyone.