General
Publically Drunk on Your Own Front PorchPosted in General, Public Drunkenness on January 12, 2015
The Iowa Supreme Court was tasked with considering whether or not a homeowner could be convicted of Public Drunkenness or Public Intoxication when the person was on the front porch of her own residence. According to an online article, the police were summoned to the residence to investigate a domestic incident. Upon arriving, they encountered… view more
Fox Guarding Hen House? Judges Supervise Behavior of JudgesPosted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ “Justice” Not Always Found in Justice System In my opinion, there are many things that occur in the criminal “justice” system that are not just or fair. For example, I have represented clients that were convicted of Underage Drinking and received a more severe license suspension than someone that was… view more
Ronald McDonald Violated Restraining Order by Entering McDonald’s RestaurantPosted in Domestic Violence - PFA, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ You may have thought that the Hamburglar had a PFA or civil restraining order against Ronald McDonald, but, in this case, the Ronald McDonald was NOT the iconic mascot for the popular fast food restaurant chain. Instead, McDonald was prohibited by a court order from having contact with his estranged… view more
Making Light of a Bad SituationPosted in Criminal Records/Expungement, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ I recently came across an article in which a person truly made light of a bad situation. Josh Sundquist lost a leg due to cancer at the age of 10. After becoming cancer-free at the age of 13, he moved forward with his life in a dramatic way and represented… view more
Stealing a Pet in Pennsylvania – Is It Theft or Kidnapping?Posted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ I recently read a few articles online that New Mexico police filed criminal charges against a suspected serial dog kidnapper after a dog owner chased the dognapper’s car and observed two kidnapped pit bulls being thrown from the moving vehicle. The suspect was charged with Animal Cruelty, False Imprisonment, and… view more
Pennsylvania’s Rejection of Automobile Exception to Warrant Requirement QuestionedPosted in Constitutional Rights, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ I recently spent a Thursday evening watching taped oral arguments from lawyers before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on the Pennsylvania Cable Network. In the case of Commonwealth v. Gary, the Court is considering whether or not it should adopt the Federal standard regarding the search of automobiles, generally referred to… view more
Stuffing Bra? Use Tissues, Not Baggies of HeroinPosted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ Route 80 has a reputation as being a “drug highway,” but I doubt that most police officers would expect to find over 300 packets of heroin in a woman’s bra during a routine traffic stop. The woman was charged with Possession With Intent to Distribute heroin after New Jersey police… view more
Woman Charged with Corruption of Minors After Using Teen’s Urine to Pass Drug TestPosted in Corruption of Minors, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ Criminal charges were recently filed in a Centre County court against a Philipsburg woman after allegedly obtaining urine from a teenager and submitting that urine to Children and Youth Services (CYS) to pass a drug test. How does one segway to a conversation about borrowing some urine? Possibly a posting… view more
Pennsylvania Contraband Charge Justified by Possession of Small Amount of MarijuanaPosted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ People may generally know that contraband is something that a person is not legally permitted to have. At Centre County ARD placements, I routinely hear the judge order the destruction of contraband, which normally means destroying the marijuana and related paraphernalia that had been possessed by a Penn State University… view more
Drunk Driver Flees Scene of Accident in Child’s Power Wheel TruckPosted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ I recently came across an article about a DUI case that was very different on many fronts. Instead of being a typical driving under the influence situation in which the driver is swerving all over the road, the police conduct a traffic stop that leads to administration of field sobriety… view more