[1123581321]

I'm very sorry about your friend, and oppose the DEA, but this is probably something your friend told you to save face if he was wealthy, educated and actually convicted.

Edit: there seems to be some confusion in the replies about my point. This isn't an endorsement of drug laws. We who oppose legal injustice need to have an accurate understanding of how these laws work and what is actually likely to happen in order to be taken seriously, and to prioritize our advocacy for legislation and DoJ rules. I don't believe this story is likely to be true, and that helps me to focus on things that actually happen every day.

[elif]

Your skepticism is not objectively meaningful so i'll offer some of my own useless skepticism. This is probably a belief which helps you sleep at night. I hope you are never forced to confront the reality of our justice system.

[1123581321]

I really appreciate that you're writing this out of concern for people. I am quite concerned about our legal system, probably more than most (like many in this thread who are similarly concerned), and work regularly to improve it.

[nitrogen]

I would consider the story plausible. I have heard stories of elderly ladies being fined for DUI after being given the wrong drug by a malpracticing doctor and causing an accident. The courts are not a forgiving place.

[1123581321]

This I do find plausible. The difference is that the DUI did happen, whereas in the cancer medication case, the pill was not actually taken. There is a legal defense in situations like that called automatism that, for various reasons, is rarely used, even in cases like this. Prejudice against elderly drivers may factor as well. You can read more about automatism here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatism_(law)

[rwmj]

Even if he was a heavy pill "junkie", how does ruining his life make things better for anyone?

[mattnewton]

This is why we can't fix the system, we always assume it must be right!

[astral303]

Legal competence is a whole separate skill. Educated doesn't mean he has the wherewithal to spend wealth on good lawyers.