Recent Blog Posts
Contributing To The Delinquency Of Minors
When determining the consequences of illegal actions by minors, the law considers whether the negligence, or even the intentional actions, of adults may have enabled or even caused the minors to break the law. Consider that, no matter your age, duress is a valid defense if someone coerced you into an illegal activity such… Read More »
How Much Information Can The Police Require You To Give Them When They Stop You?
It is obvious to anyone who has ever seen a movie or taken a civics class that you have the right to remain silent if police arrest you. What about if, as far as you know, you are not doing anything wrong, but an officer comes up to you and asks you for your… Read More »
Cumberland County Man Gets Fraud Charges For Ghosting Client Who Paid Him To Replace Heat Pump
The gig economy is frustrating for people who depend on it as their main source of income. Whether you can pay your bills this month depends on whether enough customers want the services you are providing. If the weather is too pleasant, people might decide to walk instead of taking Uber, causing you to… Read More »
Another Veterinary Tranquilizer Makes An Appearance In Pennsylvania’s Drug Supply
Yes, fentanyl causes more fatal overdoses than any other drug, and it is plenty scary, but by some measures, it is not the worst drug out there. Some other synthetic opioids, especially those that have the word “nitazene” as a component of their names, are even stronger than fentanyl. Naloxone is a game changer,… Read More »
Can You Change Your Plea In Criminal Court?
Pursuant to the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, all people accused of crimes have the right to due process of law, including a fair trial in which they have the right to make an informed decision about whether to plead guilty or not guilty. The vast majority of defendants, at least 94… Read More »
BIN Attacks And Credit Card Fraud In Pennsylvania
Credit card fraud comes in many different forms. Some people carry devices that skim credit cards, while others memorize card numbers or photograph people’s card information with their smartphones while collecting payments at work. Most cases of credit card fraud begin with someone stealing a person’s credit card information, usually including the credit card… Read More »
Finally, Some Encouraging News About The Fentanyl Epidemic
If you are young enough that you have only ever voted in elections where Trump was on the ballot, then you do not remember a time before fentanyl became the scariest thing anyone could imagine. If you watch news reports from the 80s where people panicked about crack cocaine, or even about HIV, it… Read More »
Philadelphia Drug Trafficking Investigation Leads To Arrest Of Seven Defendants
A steady stream of opioids has flooded Pennsylvania for the last two decades, each scarier than the last. The policy changes that have done the most to prevent opioid overdose deaths are the widespread availability of naloxone, which reverses the effects of opioid overdose, and Good Samaritan laws, which protect you from criminal prosecution… Read More »
Pittsburgh Senior Gets Weapons Charges After Driving Dangerously
It is possible to get criminal charges for actions related to unloaded guns; not all gun crimes involve shooting. Sometimes the mere presence of a firearm is enough to result in criminal charges. Charges for unlawful possession of a firearm depend on context; you might be doing something that is perfectly legal in your… Read More »
How Much Of Your Property Can Police Search At A Traffic Stop?
If you are nervous about air travel, hiking, zip lining, or canoeing, people who are experienced in these activities will remind you that driving a car, which you do every day, is more dangerous. Things can go from normal to disastrous in an instant when you are driving, and not just if you get… Read More »
