Commonwealth v. Smith
Superior Court of Pennsylvania
831 A.2d 636 (2003)
Relevant factsFree
Karen Smith (defendant) was arrested for DUI after driving into the wrong lane, showing signs of intoxication, and failing sobriety tests; at trial, she testified she had been wearing a prescribed narcotic pain patch and had also voluntarily drunk beer, without reading the patch's warnings about combining it with alcohol. She was convicted and appealed, arguing the evidence supported an involuntary-intoxication defense.
IssueFree
Whether, under state law, a criminal defendant may prevail on a defense of involuntary intoxication if the defendant voluntarily consumed alcohol that heightened the effect of a medically prescribed drug.