Administration of Drug to AID Commission of Crime

Drugging to Aid in Crime Explained by Vegas Defense Attorney

The state of Nevada has criminalized many different types of conduct. In the state, if you violate the law, you could be arrested, prosecuted, and potentially convicted and imprisoned or fined. There are different categories of offenses, including misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, and felony offenses. Each different type of crime can result in a defendant facing a specific penalty as defined by statute, with the penalty level determined based on the state’s view of how culpable a defendant is when committing a particular offense.

In some cases, defendants are not just charged with one crime but face multiple charges. This can occur, for example, in circumstances where a defendant has broken multiple laws through his actions and is charged with violations of several different statutes. Defendants can also engage in actions that result in the defendant being faced with harsher penalties than he would otherwise have been faced with as a result of the wrongful actions that are considered aggravating factors.

One example of a situation where a defendant could face additional consequences is in circumstances where a defendant administers a drug in order to facilitate the commission of a crime. The defendant could be charged with the underlying offense committed as well as facing much harsher penalties for administering a drug to help make the underlying offense possible.

If you are accused of administering a drug in order to aid you in the commission of a crime, you need to be aware of how serious the charges against you are and you should respond proactively to try to fight those charges so you can reduce the likelihood that you will be convicted and face a long prison sentence. Contacting a Vegas criminal defense attorney is an important first step because you do want to try to navigate the process of developing a legal strategy on your own when the charges are so serious.

LV Criminal Defense can help you. Our Nevada defense firm has provided representation to defendants accused of some of the most serious crimes in the state. We can work closely with you to develop a strategy for responding to charges associated with whatever underlying offense you are accused of having committed. We can also help you to respond if you are accused of administering a drug in order to aid someone in committing a criminal offense. Give us a call today to find out more.

Nevada Laws on Administration of a Drug to Aid in the Commission of a Crime

Nevada laws on administering a drug in order to aid in the commission of a crime are found in Title 15, which is the section of Nevada’s code that deals with crimes and punishments. Chapter 15 is broken into different chapters, including Chapter 200 which outlines crimes against persons that are unlawful in the state of Nevada. There are subcategories of Chapter 200 for different kinds of crimes against persons, and one of those subcategories relates to the administration of drugs to aid in the commission of a criminal offense.

The statutes that are found within this subsection include Nevada Revised Statute section 200.405 and Nevada Revised Statute Section 200.408.

N.R.S. 200.405 defines the penalties for administering a drug to aid in the commission of a felony. According to the relevant statute, unless a greater penalty is provided by N.R.S. 200.408, a defendant could be found guilty of a category B felony for administering a drug to aid in the commission of a crime.

A defendant is considered to have administered a drug to aid in the commission of a felony if the defendant administers chloroform, laudanum, ether, any anesthetic, an intoxicating agent, an emetic agent, or any controlled substance if the intent with administering the substance is to enable himself or assist himself or others in committing a felony.

If a prosecutor can prove a defendant administered some type of toxin or controlled substance in order to aid himself or others in the commission of a felony and the defendant is convicted of a Category B felony, the defendant could be faced with between one year in prison and 10 years of imprisonment.

N.R.S. 200.408 imposes even harsher penalties on defendants who administer a controlled substance to an individual without that individual’s knowledge in order to make it possible to commit a crime of violence, or to facilitate someone else committing a crime of violence, against that individual. Like the offense under N.R.S. 200.405, a defendant who is convicted under N.R.S. 200.408 will be convicted of a Category B felony. However, the defendant could be punished with a minimum of one year incarceration and a maximum of 20 years imprisonment instead of a maximum of 10 years imprisonment.

A crime of violence for purposes of N.R.S. 200.408 includes any offense in which force is used or force is threatened against another person or against the property of another; as well as any felony for which there is a substantial risk that force or violence would be used against another person or a person’s property in the commission of a felony.

Both offenses have mandatory minimum sentences, which means if a defendant is convicted of administration of a drug to aid in the commission of a crime, the defendant will serve jail time. In addition to being charged with this offense, the defendant could also be charged with the underlying crime he committed after administering the drug.