Could You Commit a Crime While Asleep?
Have you ever wondered why you hear well known people making outrageous comments that may not seem to match their usual viewpoint, especially if they appear on well known publicly accessed social media sites?
An incident happened some weeks ago following the re-launch of ‘Roseanne’ the popular 1990s sitcom. The leading character, Roseanne Barr, was accused of making racist and offensive comments on Twitter. Alarmed when people reacted negatively to these tweets, she quickly justified that this was completely out of character. She explained this was down to her taking Ambien,which is a commonly prescribed drug used to treat insomnia. The drug company was quick to respond to this alleged side effect and said its use doesn’t cause people to make racist comments!
Possible effects of Ambien
While a flurry of racial insults on social media isn’t going to cause the arrest of the perpetrator, it may cause loss of support for the personality, which isn’t good news for a famous person at the best of times.
Ambien is known as a sedative-hypnotic drug and is prescribed by physicians because of its high success rate of causing people to fall asleep. Zolpidem is a cheaper generic product which is quite affordable compared to Ambien, but has the same desirable effect.
Falling asleep is one characteristic of this class of drug but on the warning label it states quite clearly that after the drug is taken you may unknowingly get out of bed and take part in an activity that you are not aware you are doing. Worse still you may not recall participating in this activity when you are fully awake in the morning.
Dangerous unconscious acts after taking Ambien
One of the known activities while under the influence of Ambien is patients getting out of bed and consuming large amounts of unusual substances which might not even be edible. These often have dangerous side effects, but only tend to affect the sleep walker and not anyone else.
Far more serious incidences have involved patients getting into their cars and doing what’s called ‘sleep driving.’ This has gone as far as leading to the death of pedestrians and other innocent bystanders. There have even been reported cases of Ambienusers sexually assaulting and abusing others without realizing what they are doing.
You will need a criminal defense attorney if accused of a crime committed while ‘asleep’
If you have been accused of carrying out a crime of any type and you cannot remember that the incident happened, it doesn’t mean that you should just wait to be convicted. You will need to have a solid defense from an experienced Miami criminal defense attorney who can put together a good case for your charge to be dismissed.
If you sit and wait expecting the judge to understand your position you could find yourself with a prison term lasting a very long time for a crime that you allegedly committed after taking a prescribed drug like Ambien. Under Florida criminal law, prosecutors need to establish ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ that you ‘knowingly’ carried out a crime.
Albert Quirantes: Your Miami Criminal Defense Lawyer & DUI Lawyer
For over 30 years, Miami criminal defense attorney Albert M. Quirantes has been aggressively and zealously defending the rights of those accused of felony and misdemeanor crimesthroughout South Florida. With his dedicated team, reasonable legal fees, and a well-earned reputation for challenging prosecutors at every turn, he has protected over 8,000 clients during some of the roughest times of their lives.
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If you have any questions about this or any other criminal accusation, call Miami Criminal Defense Lawyer Albert Quirantes at: (305) 644-1800 or visit our homepage www.CriminalDefendant.com for a direct link to the office or a text message or a map and directions to our office.
