The Orange County Board of Supervisors Jan. 24 unanimously approved writing a letter of support for a state bill that, if passed, would allow prosecutors to charge fentanyl dealers with murder if someone dies as a result of them ingesting a drug they sold.
Senate Bill 44, introduced last month by Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana), would require drug offenders—those convicted of selling or distributing illegal narcotics—to be notified that if they sell fentanyl, and someone dies from taking it, they could be charged with murder or voluntary manslaughter.
