By Syrah Omar,
Chisholm Trail High School

Exposure to drugs could lead a victim down a shadow-casted path. The less fortunate never escape this path, leading to a life controlled by their addiction. In the trial case “The Windshield Murderer”, the defendant Arlo Key has taken the life of another while under the influence of intoxicants and drugs. Among the drugs consumed by Key is ether, a drug that can cause disorientation and hallucinations. As a first-time user of ether, the effects of this drug were new to Arlo. A question emerges: if a law were enacted that lightened the punishment for first-time users of a certain drug, how would this change the court verdict?

“I think that people always deserve second chances,” said Catherine Masey, a Judicial delegate who served as a judge. Individuals who consume a certain drug for the first time may underestimate the effects and potential development of addiction. The effects that result from the intake of these substances may also be heightened as a surprise factor is included within the experience. Delegate Masey emphasizes the difficulty of the case, especially when drugs and their influence must be considered when making a final decision.

From a defense attorney’s point of view, “leniency”, as described by the judicial delegate Eva Wesley, is what would have been given if the law was enacted. However, his innocence would not only stem from Key’s new experience with this drug, but also the environment surrounding him. Ibenehita, a Judicial delegate who also played the role of defense attorney in the same trial, stresses the unfairness of his situation from a personal perspective of what is morally correct. She elaborates, “Putting yourself in Arlo Key’s shoes, it almost wasn’t fair. His friends, Avery Beasley especially, was familiar with the effects of ether, and Arlo should never have been left alone.”

The dangers of drugs were shown in the trial case of “The Windshield Murderer” in the form of death. With cases that display similar outcomes that result from drug and substance intake, the question still remains: what justifications must be made to deem drugs as non-influential to a court’s verdict?

 

Court case considers leniency for first-time drug offender.