Heroin Dealer Loses Appeal USA (wgvu) - GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - A federal appeals court has upheld
the conviction of a drug dealer whose heroin was blamed in the
death of a Grand Rapids-area teen in 2004.
Eugene Atkins II claims he shouldn't be blamed for Matthew
McKinney's death because another person could have called for
medical help. He says the jury that heard his case in 2006 should
have been given that instruction.
But in a ruling Tuesday, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in
Cincinnati says Atkins' lawyer never asked for the instruction at
trial. And the court says it's not enough to overturn his
conviction. Atkins was sentenced to life in prison by a federal
judge in Grand Rapids.
Ten people testified that Atkins supplied heroin to young
people. McKinney was 17 when he died of an overdose.
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