DUI

Maryland PBJ is a “Prior Offense” of DUI in Pennsylvania

Almost eveyrone that is arrested in Pennsyvlania for suspicion of DUI immediately heads to Google to search.  They want to know what is going to happen and what penalities will be imposed for a conviction.  There are very severe mandatory minimum sentences for a Pennsylvania DUI conviction, and those sentences are increased substantially if the… view more

Pennsylvania DUI Conviction Overturned Under Two-Hour Rule

Everyone knows that a normal DUI charge requires a prosecutor to present evidence at a trial that a person was driving and the person’s alcohol level was over the legal limit.  In Pennsylvania, a driving under the influence charge for alcohol also normally requires that the blood or breath was drawn within two hours of… view more

Pennsylvania ARD No Longer a Prior Offense of DUI

The Pennsylvania Superior Court issued a ground breaking decision and held that participation in Pennsylvania’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program for a DUI offense cannot be used to treat a subsequent driving under the influence case as a second or subsequent offense for mandatory minimum sentencing purposes.  This decision will have a huge impact on… view more

Superior Court Overturns Cumberland County DUI Conviction

The Pennsylvania Superior Court recently reviewed a Cumberland County DUI conviction and concluded that the original judge had incorrectly denied the suspect’s request for suppression of evidence.  In the case, captioned Commonwealth v. Wallett 1677 MDA 2019, Wallett argued that her constitutional rights were violated when a police officer stopped her vehicle in a residential… view more

Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana and Drug DUI Laws

In February of 2018, Pennsylvania residents were able to obtain medicinal marijuana.  Regrettably, questions regarding the whether or not the marijuana can be “legally” possessed and “legally” ingested or consumed is still an issue.  Pennsylvania law still generally prohibits a person from possessing marijuana, and the distribution or delivery of marijuana remains a felony offense. … view more

Factors that impact the accuracy of a breath test

If you have ever been pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving, you may have been asked to submit to a breath test. Intended to give authorities an idea of how much alcohol you consumed and whether that consumption has negatively impacted your ability to safely drive, the breath test uses a device called a… view more

Amish Man Charged With DUI After Friend Rode on Buggy Roof

The police are familiar with observing Amish buggies on roadways in rural Central Pennsylvania, but they do not often see young men riding on top of the buggies. Some Pennsylvania State Troopers in Indiana County recently encountered such a sight and conducted a traffic stop of the Amish buggy. The stop led to the discovery… view more

Drunk Driving on a Zamboni

Drinking on the job is never a good thing, but it is a bit more obvious when you are in charge of cleaning the ice with a Zamboni machine at a high school hockey game. Similar to a typical DUI case, the police were summoned after people noticed erratic driving of the vehicle. While driving… view more

Elf on the Shelf Charged With DUI

It is my understanding that the Elf on the Shelf may get into some minor trouble from time to time, but such an elf was recently charged with driving under the influence after being found asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle with its headlights on and music playing. I feel bad for this… view more

Man Arrested for Four DUIs within Thirty-Six Hours

A Rhode Island man may have broken a record by being charged with four separate driving under the influence cases in less than thirty-six hours. The 53-year-old man started the spree after taking a mid-morning Sunday drive, but the drive ended after the man crashed into a SUV that resulted in injuries to two children… view more