General

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

First, I need to emphasize that people should not possess anything that is illegal, be it drugs, a fake ID, stolen property, or any other form of contraband. However, if you are going to possess such things, leave them at home when you are heading to court. Most Pennsylvania court facilities require a person to… view more

Posted in Drug Possession, General on January 12, 2015

According to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, a Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney was representing a client charged with drug possession and other offenses at a suppression hearing before an Allegheny County judge, and the lawyer questioned her client’s wife about a small wooden box. The wife admitted that the box was hers, and upon opening the… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

A marijuana detecting breathalyzer is in the development phase, and I am sure that law enforcement officers in the U.S. would welcome using such a device during drug-DUI investigations. The creators of the Cannabix Breathalyzer claim that it would allow the police to determine if a person had recently smoked marijuana. Pennsylvania officers often use… view more

Posted in DUI, General on January 12, 2015

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

Posted in General, Invasion of Privacy on January 12, 2015

Many people are now aware of the recent passage of “revenge porn” statutes across the country, but many people do not even know what the phrase “revenge porn” means. Generally speaking, it often arises in the context of one person posting naked or nude photos of an ex-paramour or spouse on social media sites such… view more

Posted in General, Penn State Marijuana Possession on January 12, 2015

According to online news reports, the State College Borough is considering following the lead of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and passing a local ordinance to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. This does not mean that marijuana is now legal in Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, a person that possesses less than 30 grams of marijuana for… view more

Posted in Appeal, General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ I represented a Centre County client in a Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA) in which two prior defense attorneys had failed to file documents in a timely manner and thereby prevented the courts from considering the client’s appellate arguments. When filing a PCRA petition, the defense lawyer generally claims that… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

While some Penn State students took advantage of afternoon classes being canceled due to Hurricane Sandy by purchasing 40 ounce bottles of Hurricane malt liquor, there were no news reports of any increased criminal activity.  Regrettably, news reports have stated that some people in South Brooklyn were involved in looting and fights. Stressful situations sometimes… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ I recently saw a question posted online inquiring whether or not the death penalty was still legal in the U.S.  Not only is the death penalty legal, Pennsylvania was prepared to execute its first inmate 13 in years before a stay was issued by a Pennsylvania court.   I find… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ A Boston company claims to have made a material that changes color when it comes into contact with date rape drugs. The creator is hoping to use the material to create cups, stirrers, and straws that would alert a drinker that someone had slipped a date rape drug into a… view more