'Paxil Defense' Shot Down: Woman Claimed 'Involuntary Intoxication' After Assaulting Police Officer
The "Paxil Defense" has been shot down after Jolene Marie Harris, Rocky Mount, Va., was found guilty Aug. 29 of assaulting a police officer and a social worker. The judge rejected her claim that she was "involuntarily intoxicated" after she argued that having taken Paxil as well as some other prescription medications earlier that day caused her to be unable to understand the consequences of her actions. When you hear the rest of the story, you may be inclined to believe the woman.
Harris, 28, could spend at least six months in jail for the assaults, which involved her “kicking a Rocky Mount police officer in the groin and throwing a bottle of juice at a social worker on Dec. 10, 2010.” Her lawyer tried to convince the judge that Harris was intoxicated after taking the 40 mg of Paxil and Dexatrim Max earlier in the day by saying, "The combination of prescription medications caused a toxic reaction and rendered her unable to understand the consequences of her actions."
Harris herself testified that she took 40 mg of Paxil and Dexatrim Max on December 10 in the morning. By that afternoon, she says she filled many more prescriptions that included Imitrex, Benedryl, Buspar and Phenergan and took each of them at 1 p.m. Harris also says that she didn’t consume any illegal drugs or alcohol. According to the woman and her lawyer, she doesn’t remember anything that happened. After taking all of those medications, it certainly makes sense. However, according to the police officer and two social workers, she smelled of beer at the time of the assaults.
The "Paxil Defense" is becoming a common thing these days as the side effects of the drug have been proven to cause some patients to suffer from aggressive behavior and even violence toward themselves or others. Research has shown that Paxil and other SSRI medications can cause people to exhibit aggressive behavior, suicidal thoughts and behavior; the drug has even been linked to countless murders by patients taking it. It is that fact (coupled with the studies to back it up) that makes the "Paxil Defense" so credible in the first place. Judges all over the country have begun to realize that SSRIs like Paxil have the potential to cause some people to act out in violent ways, and are making judgements with that knowledge in mind.
