Opinion ID: 6333805
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Distribution of Fentanyl to a Pregnant

Text: Individual Zayas moved for judgment of acquittal on Count 4 (distribution to someone who is pregnant) at the close of the evidence. 21 U.S.C. § 861(f), captioned “Distribution of controlled substance to pregnant individual,” states in its entirety: “Except as authorized by this subchapter, it shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly or intentionally provide or distribute any controlled substance to a pregnant individual in violation of any provision of this subchapter.” Aside from contending that the evidence was insufficient to establish he delivered fentanyl, Zayas claimed that the record was also insufficient to establish that he knew Price was pregnant. Along with arguing that the evidence was sufficient, the government argued that it was unnecessary to prove knowledge of the pregnancy to sustain a conviction under the statute. Rather, the government claimed that § 861(f) is a crime of strict liability. The District Court agreed that knowledge of Price’s pregnancy was not required to sustain a conviction under § 861(f) and instructed the jury accordingly: Count 4 of the superseding indictment charges the defendant with distribution of a controlled substance to a pregnant individual, namely Kathryn Price. This is a separate violation of federal law. In order to find the defendant guilty of this offense, in addition to those elements that I’ve already explained to you, you must also find that the government prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant distributed a controlled substance to a pregnant individual, namely 14 Kathryn Price. The government need not prove that when the defendant distributed the controlled substance he knew that the individual was pregnant.44 The jury convicted Zayas for distribution of a controlled substance to a pregnant individual (Price) as charged in Count