Author Archives: Site Administrator
Rise in drug charges result of rise in drug abuse
Drug charges seem to have reached all-time highs around the Pittsburgh region. This is mainly due to the sharp upturn of illegal drug abuse in the state of Pennsylvania over the past few years. In some places, such as parts of Washington County, overdose deaths devastated more than fifty-five families. The precursor to many of… Read More »
Court extends mandatory DUI blood test requirement to bicyclists
Pittsburgh drivers may be interested in a recent court case that shed some light on the effect of mandatory DUI blood testing. One man has now had his license suspension upheld, despite not driving a car at the time of the incident. Pennsylvania law requires that anyone operating a vehicle must willingly submit to… Read More »
Pennsylvania cyclists included in implied consent law
The ruling of a Pennsylvania court regarding a cyclist who refused to submit to blood testing for DUI after being stopped by police while riding his bicycle may have implications for cyclists throughout the state. On September 15, 2011, the man was stopped by police for running a red light on his bicycle shortly… Read More »
Drug charges for overdose reporters addressed by new bill
The amount of people who die from drug overdoses in Pennsylvania, especially from heroin, has significantly jumped over the last few years. There are many reasons that polls point to for this increase, including higher unemployment rates, the purity of the drug and what it’s cut with, and the cheap cost of a heroin… Read More »
Impacts of Supreme Court Decision on Sex Offender Registration
Receiving a conviction as a sex offender can have devastating consequences to both personal and professional aspects of life. Information about offenders is readily available to the public via the Sex Offender Public Website. With a simple search, a plethora of information regarding a registered sex offender is available, ranging from a picture and… Read More »
UPDATE: A Lifetime Behind Bars for Juvenile Offenders Dealt Huge Blow
On June 25, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in the consolidated cases Jackson v. Hobbs and Miller v. Alabama. In a hotly contested 5-4 decision, the justices struck down mandatory life sentences without parole for juvenile offenses as a violation of the Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The new ruling does not mean life… Read More »
White collar crime: accountant charged with tax evasion
White collar crime like tax evasion can devastate a company’s reputation and seriously hurt the entire enterprise. In addition, if forensic accountants are able to pinpoint the error and find that it was being made on purpose to embezzle money or commit any type of fraud, the guilty party or parties can be looking at… Read More »
Pennsylvania superintendent charged with DUI
Driving while under the influence of alcohol is never a good decision, but sometimes, people make mistakes. While drunk driving charges carry a certain social stigma, especially for those in positions in the public eye, it may be possible for first-time offenders to take part in alternative programs that can make it easier to go back… Read More »
Federal drug charges for ‘Bricks R Us’ heroin gang members
Getting busted with hardcore drugs can mean tens of thousands in fines and several years in prison. Judges are not lenient on drug charges stemming from narcotics arrests for things like heroin and crystal meth. For example, less than five grams of heroin can land a person in jail for as long as two years, and more than… Read More »
Defendants’ rights expanded in drug crimes cases
A recent ruling from the highest court in the nation has left some Pennsylvania judges confused about the proper method for applying the law in a variety of drug cases. The ruling, which was handed down in 2013, determined that juries — not judges — should be responsible for deciding whether a defendant committed… Read More »
