When people think about someone driving under the influence, they often think it means the person was driving drunk. However, a DUI is possible when you are under the influence of any substance. This includes any type of drug, even those that are legal. It does not...
Drug Charges
What are the penalties for drug trafficking?
Drug trafficking is taken very seriously by law enforcement in Pennsylvania. When you face this type of charge, it essentially means there is evidence that you have somehow contributed or assisted in getting illegal drugs into your community. Obviously, this is...
State College Marijuana Ordinance
Recently the State College Borough Council passed a rule allowing State College Police to charge a person with a borough ordinance for marijuana possession rather than charging them with a state criminal offense of possession, a misdemeanor. The police would be...
United States Supreme Court Weighs In On Drunk Driving Cases
Recently the United States Supreme Court gave police officers the right to administer warrantless breath tests to anyone they suspect of drunk driving. The case, Birchfield v. North Dakota will affect the laws in eleven states. Some authorities believe that the case...
Can I get into trouble for calling an ambulance for someone who is drunk or has overdosed?
Under Pennsylvania's medical amnesty law, if a person in good faith calls and believes he or she is the first to call 911, the police, an ambulance, or campus security, and also gives their name and stays with the person to prevent that person's death or serious...
Suspension of driver’s license for drug convictions
In Pennsylvania, if a person is convicted of any offense involving the possession, sale, delivery, or giving away of any controlled substance, such as marijuana, cocaine, or heroin, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDoT) will suspend that person's...
Defendant in a drug charges testing case
If you were a defendant in a case involving drug charges that were tested in a laboratory, you may be interested in the following story. The top court in Massachusetts is set to decide how to handle defendants convicted with evidence that was tested at a crime lab...
Drug Charges, the War on Drugs, and Why it Needs to End
Everybody has heard how the court system is backed up and clogged with so many cases. The following is a letter to the editor printed in The Wall Street Journal. The letter was written by a retired state court trial judge. It may help to shed some light on the...
