The U.S. Attorney for
the Eastern District of Pennsylvania released the below information.
PHILADELPHIA – A
federal judge ruled today that a nonprofit seeking to open a facility in
Philadelphia for the injection of illegal drugs would not violate a federal
drug law known commonly as the federal “crack house statute.” The
decision by United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh in favor
of nonprofit Safehouse makes final a prior ruling and paves the way for a
showdown on appeal.
“We respectfully
disagree with the District Court’s ruling and plan to appeal immediately,” said
United States Attorney William M. McSwain. “What Safehouse proposes is a
radical experiment that would invite thousands of people onto its property for
the purpose of injecting illegal drugs. In our view, this would plainly violate
the law and we look forward to presenting our case to the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Third Circuit.”
The application of the
law in question, which prohibits any person from maintaining a place for the
purpose of illegal drug use, is hotly contested. Safehouse contends that
allowing illegal drug use on its property is necessary to prevent overdoses.
The so-called “supervised injection site” proposed by Safehouse would be the
first of its kind in the United States.
This effort is
staunchly opposed by a growing number of federal authorities, including the
U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Surgeon General. In anticipation of
this ruling, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen published an
editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this month, condemning
Safehouse’s plan and committing to an appeal. Last month, U.S. Surgeon General
Jerome M. Adams cautioned, “I have looked at the data,” and “we want to
optimize the things that we know work before we start having conversations
about more controversial interventions.”
Community groups in
neighborhoods where Safehouse is rumored to be considering opening an injection
site have also objected. “We believe that Safehouse’s proposed activity
threatens to institutionalize the scourge of illegal drug use – and all the
problems that come with it – in Philadelphia neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney
McSwain. “In light of these concerns, Safehouse should act prudently and not
rush to open while the appeal is pending. But if it does rush forward, my
Office will evaluate all options available under the law.”
While no timeline has
yet been set for the appeal, the United States will seek an expedited ruling
from the Third Circuit.
No comments:
Post a Comment