Opinion ID: 6111649
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Counts 5 & 7: Jennifer Pointer

Text: A rational jury could similarly conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Pointer overdosed on drugs she bought from “Polo” on both March 17 and March 30, 2016. Pointer testified that she bought heroin from “Polo” at the intersection of Bradford Avenue and Bringard Drive on the day of her first overdose—March 17, 2016. She went home and snorted an entire $20 bag of heroin with her boyfriend. She testified that she did not buy drugs from any other dealer that day, and she did not use any other drugs. Paramedics arrived and found Pointer unresponsive and barely breathing with drug paraphernalia around her. They administered two doses of Narcan, and Pointer became responsive after the second dose. At the hospital, doctors administered a urine drug screen, which was positive for opiates and cocaine. Dr. Mills testified that Narcan would only have been effective if Pointer had overdosed on opiates; it would not have reversed a cocaine overdose. Dr. Mills concluded that Pointer’s March 17, 2016, overdose was consistent with a heroin or fentanyl overdose and that, without medical treatment, it was “[m]ore likely than not [that] she would have died.” (Mills Test., R. 703, Page ID #3873). Tempo argues that Pointer was also taking Adderall and Suboxone at the time, which “alone could have caused her overdose.” (Def. Tempo Br. at 32–33). He further argues that Pointer’s urinalysis drug test was “not reliable.” (Id. at 33). But—for the same reasons as discussed above with Yako and Grzywacz—a rational jury could find that the urinalysis results, along with Dr. Mills’ testimony, demonstrated that the “Polo” drugs were the but-for cause of Pointer’s overdose. See Volkman, 797 F.3d at 392. On March 30, 2016, Pointer reported using Boose’s phone to call the x3399 “Polo” number. Phone records confirm that Boose’s phone called the x3399 number three times that day. Initially, police and paramedics arrived to treat Boose for an overdose. When police arrived, Pointer was still conscious. Police searched Pointer and found “a small fold paper, which is consistent with the packaging for heroin.” (Steiber Test., R. 717, Page ID ##5504–06). Officer Steiber seized the substance, and test results concluded that it was 0.028 grams of pure fentanyl, which is “nine to ten times the lethal dose of fentanyl to your average adult.” (Mills Test., R. 703, Page ID #3877). After Steiber handcuffed Pointer and put her in the back seat of the squad car, she fell unconscious. Paramedics administered two doses of Narcan, and after the Nos. 19-2217/2221/20-1177 United States v. Sadler, et al. Page 32 second dose, Pointer became responsive. Pointer’s urinalysis tested positive for amphetamine, cannabinoids, and cocaine—but not opiates. Even so, Dr. Mills testified that Pointer’s responsiveness to Narcan indicated that she had overdosed on opioids and that, unlike heroin, fentanyl “is not detected by that particular [urinalysis] drug screen.” (Mills Test., R. 703, Page ID ##3874–75, ##3877–78). He testified that the cocaine and amphetamines “played no role” in her overdose. (Id. at Page ID #3878). He said that her medical condition was “consistent with an opioid poisoning” and that, without medical attention, “she could have died.” (Id. at Page ID #3875, #3878). Tempo points to the physical evidence to prove that Pointer’s second overdose did not involve drugs from “Polo.” He alleges that, because Pointer’s drugs were in a folded piece of paper, and not a small plastic bag like those used in all “Polo” sales, the drugs likely came from another source. But Pointer testified that she bought the heroin from “Polo” in a small plastic bag. She then took it out of the bag, placed it into a piece of paper, crushed it up, and snorted it out of the piece of paper. While Pointer did make some inconsistent statements about her practice of repacking her drugs into paper folds, the jury was justified in crediting her testimony that she bought drugs from “Polo” and repackaged them into a paper fold. For the same reasons as discussed above, Pointer’s positive drug test for cocaine does not preclude but-for causation. See Volkman, 797 F.3d at 392. Indeed, Dr. Mills testified that the cocaine and amphetamines “played no role” in her overdose. (Mills Test., R. 703, Page ID #3878).