Philadelphia

Call for Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Montgomery County Heroin Dealers

Grand jury calls for mandatory minimums to fight opioids

A grand jury convened in a suburban Philadelphia county to investigate rising opioid deaths has recommended mandatory minimum sentences for heroin dealers.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele says it was an uncommon use of a grand jury but he hopes their work will help fight what he called "a tsunami of death."

The 23-member panel heard testimony over 13 months before their recommendations were released Wednesday. Members also called for a statewide online system to help addicts find available treatment.

Montgomery County saw 249 drug-related deaths in 2016, up from 177 the year before.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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