General

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ A Centre County judge recently considered whether there was sufficient evidence to justify a conviction in a State College Possession of a Small Amount of Marijuana case. Under Pennsylvania law, the district attorney is not required to prove who owned the drugs or marijuana but instead must only prove possession…. view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ Murrysville police recently stopped a man driving with an open can of beer, which is a violation of Pennsylvania law. Did the police stop the man solely for an Open Container violation? Probably not. It is more likely that the police stopped the man because he was driving a lawn… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

In what is a somewhat routine fact pattern in Centre County, a traveler on interstate 80 was stopped for a relatively minor traffic violation but a search of the person’s vehicle ultimately led to the discovery of drugs. In this particular case, the Pennsylvania State troopers stopped a man for speeding and decided to only… view more

Posted in Burglary, General on January 12, 2015

While the crime rate overall has decreased in State College over State Patty’s Day weekend, it doesn’t mean that serious crimes do not occur. The police received reports of items missing from the Meridian II apartment building, so the police contacted the realty company that manages the building and reviewed video footage. The video shows… view more

Posted in Assault, General on January 12, 2015

I am sure that many people have heard incidents of recreational golfers sometimes having a few too many drinks while hitting 18 holes, and some of those incidents have resulted in DUI charges because the person drove the golf cart while under the influence. However, a U.S. Open fan recently topped it all. When a… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

A man had been charged in Philadelphia with Homicide by Vehicle and Involuntary Manslaughter after he was involved in a car accident that left an off-duty Philadelphia police officer dead. According the philly.com article, the officer was riding a bike towards the man’s vehicle when the officer was struck and killed. While it sounds like… view more

Posted in General, Public Drunkenness on January 12, 2015

As a State College criminal defense attorney, I have heard many fact patterns involving how students at Penn State, Lock Haven, and Juniata have been charged with Underage Drinking and Public Drunkenness. However, I recently read an article in which a DeSales University student was stopped by police after he was drunk jogging along a… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

In a very important decision for lawyers across the state of Pennsylvania, but especially important for defense lawyers in State College that handle drug distribution and possession with intent to deliver cases, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is holding that the drug-free school zone law is unconstitutional and cannot be used by prosecutors or imposed by… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

As a criminal defense lawyer, I am before judges quite frequently for sentencing hearings. Because my law firm is located in State College, I represent a lot of Penn State students that get into trouble, often as a result of having a bit too much to drink. Most of my clients are good people at… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

Penn State Underage Drinking Problem Centre County Senator Jake Corman has proposed amendments to Pennsylvania law that would increase the maximum fine for Underage Drinking and Public Drunkenness to $1,000.00. I believe that it is safe to presume that Senator Corman’s proposal was not intended to garner votes amongst the 40,000 Penn State students at… view more