A North Dakota man who is currently waiting for his trial on charges related to two drug overdose deaths reportedly violated the conditions of his pretrial release. The 20-year-old Grand Forks man was taken into custody for the alleged violation.
According to the terms of his release, the man was to attend counseling through a Fargo halfway house. After allegedly missing several sessions and showing up late to another, the program kicked him out. The failure to complete and attend counseling was considered a violation of his release terms.
The man is facing charges in federal court. His charges include conspiracy to possess drugs with the intent to distribute resulting in serious injury or death. Currently, his trial is set to begin on April 28. It is unclear whether he will seek a hearing on the alleged pretrial release violation or if he will instead remain in custody until his case is resolved at trial. His trial is set along with two co-defendants also charged in the case, which involved fentanyl.
When people are facing criminal charges, they may want to seek the help of a criminal defense attorney as early in the process as possible. When a person is charged in a case and has co-defendants, an attorney may file a motion to sever so his or her client can stand trial alone. This is sometimes done so a person is not convicted simply due to the possible guilt of another. An attorney might also provide help by filing motions to suppress evidence and by negotiating with the prosecutor who is assigned with the case. Attorneys might be better able to identify defenses as they may be more current with the criminal law.
Source: Crookston Times, “Grand Forks man charged in drug case arrested on violation of release,” Associated Press, March 16, 2015
