Defense Lawyers and the Opioid Epidemic: Advocating for Addiction Medication

Although the destruction caused by the opioid epidemic has impacted every stage of the criminal justice system, probation and parole and drug courts sometimes prohibit the use of methadone and other medications to treat opioid use disorder. Policies prohibiting medication-assisted treatment (MAT) are harmful to public health and safety, and these policies can violate state and federal laws. Defense lawyers can help stem this harm by filing challenges when MAT is prohibited. Sally Friedman and Melissa Trent discuss the legal arguments attorneys can put forth.