Giving someone a lethal dose of drugs could get you 20 years in jail. Here’s why.

Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said he wants to see even more charges brought against drug dealers under his leadership as the state’s top cop.

“It’s a tool that a prosecutor has in their toolkit,” Grewal said in an interview. “I think it has to be used more.”

In certain cases around the country, the strict liability charge has been scrutinized after charges were brought against the overdose victim’s friend, loved one or family member.

In September 2013, a Morris County man who described himself as a “full-blown heroin addict” was sentenced to five years in prison for providing the heroin that resulted in a former girlfriend’s overdose death.  

New Jersey officials interviewed by NJ Advance Media say the charge has been reserved for drug dealers who exploit people at their lowest point.

“It’s not made for the occasional person, it’s for the drug dealer, the one out there distributing drugs,” said Gloucester County Prosecutor Charles Fiore.

“The drug dealers are the predators,” Coronato said. “We understand addiction is a disease, and we’re going to help them overcome that. But there are people who prey on these individuals, and we’re going to hold them accountable.”

To get a better understanding of how the charge is being used in New Jersey, NJ Advance Media has compiled examples of publicized cases in which strict liability charges were filed.