Why it’s important to prosecute celebrity drug deaths and the message it sends, according to legal experts

By Ashley R. Williams, CNN

(CNN) — The recent announcement of charges against five people in connection with actor Matthew Perry’s 2023 ketamine-related death marks the latest example of authorities holding drug dealers and enablers accountable in high-profile, celebrity deaths.

Investigators said those charged include two doctors, Perry’s live-in personal assistant and Jasveen Sangha, whom authorities call the “Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood.

Sangha has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine. CNN has reached out to her attorney for comment.

The charges in the case came after investigators uncovered an underground network of drug sellers and suppliers they allege are responsible for distributing the potentially deadly ketamine that killed Perry, who died October 28, 2023, CNN previously reported.

The case is in some ways similar to the charges brought following the September 2018 drug-related death of rapper Mac Miller, 26, after his accidental overdose on fentanyl, cocaine and ethanol.

Two men were sentenced to prison time in connection with Miller’s death. Ryan Reavis, one of the people authorities said supplied the drugs to Miller two days before his overdose, was sentenced in April 2022 to more than 10 years after pleading guilty to a federal count of fentanyl distribution, CNN affiliate KCAL reported.

Stephen Walter, who also pleaded guilty to one count of fentanyl distribution, was sentenced in May 2022 to just under 18 years in prison by a federal California judge, NPR reported.

And before Miller came the drug-related death of Prince, the platinum-selling recording artist who died at 57 in April 2016 after being found unresponsive in an elevator at his home and recording studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

There were no criminal charges filed in the death of Prince, whose full name was Prince Rogers Nelson, as authorities said they found no evidence of who supplied him with the counterfeit fentanyl-laced Vicodin pills that killed him or how he obtained them.

Minnesota doctor Michael Schulenberg paid $30,000 to settle civil allegations he wrote a one-time prescription for Percocet to Prince’s friend, knowing Prince, who had a history of opiate addiction, would take them, CNN previously reported. Schulenberg did not admit liability as part of the settlement, and affirmed he did not prescribe opiates to any patient with the intention that they be given to Prince, his attorney told CNN at the time.

Following Michael Jackson’s death in 2009, his doctor, Conrad Murray, served two years of a four-year sentence handed down in 2011 for involuntary manslaughter after a jury found his negligence led to the singer’s overdose on propofol, a surgical anesthetic.

Legal experts said the emphasis on higher-profile cases and related prosecutions can play a crucial role in deterring illegal drug activities.

“The emphasis on high-profile cases largely stems from the visibility they bring to the issue, helping to shed light on the broader implications of the drug crisis,” Andrew Pickett, a lead trial attorney based in Melbourne, Florida, told CNN.

“They serve as a warning to both practitioners operating on the fringes of legality and those facilitating substance abuse,” Pickett said.

Are cases involving ordinary people prosecuted similarly?

The case involving those accused in the death of Perry, who starred for a decade on “Friends” from 1994 to 2004, has undoubtedly received widespread attention due to the actor’s fame. But legal experts said such charges are not uncommon in cases of noncelebrities who have died in similar situations.

“We don’t hear about them as often and as loudly because they’re typically involving people no one knows,” Tre Lovell, an entertainment attorney based in Los Angeles, told CNN.

“In this case, they had an opportunity to not only set an example but do so in a way that garnered enormous attention given Perry’s celebrity status,” Lovell said.

One of those lesser-known cases happened in January in the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody, where a 44-year-old drug dealer was charged with felony murder in connection with the overdose death of a 34-year-old man last year, according to the Dunwoody Police Department.

Lower-profile drug cases are often prosecuted with a similar seriousness to those involving famous people who have died, according to Pickett.

High-profile cases may receive more media attention, but it does not necessarily reflect the priorities of prosecutors, said Bill Powers, a lawyer in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Prosecutors pursue cases involving drug-related deaths regardless of the victim’s fame,” Powers told CNN in a statement. “The law is designed to be applied equally to all citizens.”

But Ben Michael, an attorney with Michael and Associates in Los Angeles, said the publicity that comes with higher-profile drug-related deaths could be a driving force behind authorities pursuing these cases.

“If a police department believes they can ride the wave of public attention from a celebrity’s death and use it to cast a positive light on their department, they’re likely going to do it,” Michael told CNN. “This results in more funding, which is the main reason that departments pursue celebrity cases with more fervor than noncelebrity cases,” he said.

Michael added: “That being said, the majority of police departments across the country are doing what they can to put as many drug dealers behind bars as possible.”

Why it’s important to prosecute celebrity drug deaths

There has been a recent trend of increased focus on holding dealers and suppliers accountable for overdose deaths, with some jurisdictions pursuing murder charges in certain overdose cases, Powers noted.

The case surrounding Perry’s death brought to light the dangers of the recreational use of ketamine, a controlled substance, said Lauren Johnson-Norris, a criminal defense attorney based in Irvine, California.

“Perry was vulnerable as an addict, and these doctors illegally sold him drugs instead of helping him. That makes them no better than a street-level dealer and arguably worse because they violated their oath to do no harm,” Johnson-Norris told CNN about the allegations.

“We hold doctors to the highest standards, and this case sends a message that abuse of their medical privileges will not be tolerated,” she said, adding drug dealers may not be deterred in the same way.

“Many have far less to lose, they don’t face the same stigma a doctor would if they get caught,” Johnson-Norris said.

“While the dealer in this case could receive a life sentence, no one knows if these charges will deter other dealers from selling ketamine,” she continued. “Prosecutors are tough in these cases because they hope it will, but the statistics around deterrence historically don’t back that up.”

Pickett said the hope is, much like Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act statutes have influenced organized crime, such cases will lead to greater accountability of those involved in the drug trade.

“Pursuing these cases diligently underscores the importance of holding all parties responsible, irrespective of the victim’s status,” Pickett said.

CNN’s Scott Glover, John Miller, Lisa Respers France, Holly Yan, Jay Croft, Eric Levenson and Hollie Silverman contributed to this report. 

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