Toxicology for Prosecutors

Drug impaired drivers kill and maim thousands of people each and every year in the United States. Unfortunately, prosecuting drug-impaired drivers is a daunting task. Jurors, who are very familiar with alcohol’s effects, signs and symptoms, often know little or nothing about other drugs. Tainted by crime shows like CSI: Miami, they may have unrealistic expectations about the nature and quantum of available proof. Unlike alcohol, most states do not have “per se” limits for drugged driving. To successfully explain the evidence and issues to jurors in Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID) cases, prosecutors must understand the basics of drug toxicology.This publication is designed to provide prosecutors with a basic understanding of drug pharmacology and testing. The author, Dr. Sarah Kerrigan, is the former Toxicology Bureau Chief of the New Mexico Department of Health’s Scientific Laboratory Division. Priorto this, she worked as a Forensic Toxicologist for the...