Alleged Heroin Dealer Wants to Challenge Chemical Analysis Evidence

The defense lawyer representing a Portsmouth woman charged with selling heroin that police say caused the death of another city woman in November wants to challenge any chemical analysis evidence against his client.

Attorney Brett Newkirk of Stratham filed that motion in Portsmouth Circuit Court and a second motion requesting that the legal proceedings for Jennifer Landry's probable cause hearing on Tuesday morning at 8:30 be recorded and that the court provide a recording device.

at the Rockingham County Jail in Brentwood and charged with sale of a controlled narcotic drug and with causing the victim's death through sale of a controlled narcotic, an offense that Portsmouth Deputy Police Chief Corey MacDonald said can carry a sentence of life in prison, if convicted.

Portsmouth Police say that Landry caused the overdose death of 22-year-old Svetlana Filippenko on Nov. 21, 2012 after Landry sold her some heroin. Following Filippenko's death, Landry was arrested by Portland, Maine, Police after Portsmouth Police issued an arrest warrant.

In his motion, Newkirk filed an objection to admission of a chemical analysis report and argued that if any such report is presented as evidence against Landry, then they want the drug analyst to be present so Landry can confront the witness as outlined in the New Hampshire Constitution and the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

at the Rockingham County Jail.