State College Legal Blog
Former detective sentenced in drunk driving case
A former Pennsylvania police officer has been sentenced to 10 days of monitored home confinement and six months of rigorous supervised release known as intermediate punishment in connection with a January 2019 drunk driving accident that left a pedestrian seriously...
Former detective sentenced in drunk driving case
A former Pennsylvania police officer has been sentenced to 10 days of monitored home confinement and six months of rigorous supervised release known as intermediate punishment in connection with a January 2019 drunk driving accident that left a pedestrian seriously...
The different stages of alcohol impairment
To operate a motor vehicle in Pennsylvania, a driver must have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of less than .08. A person whose BAC reaches that limit may have a hard time standing, seeing and hearing. It may also be difficult to drive at a reasonable speed or take...
Overdose death leads to narcotics investigation
Police in Pennsylvania have taken a man into custody who they believe sold the drugs that caused the overdose death of an Abingdon man in April. The 37-year-old Philadelphia resident faces a raft of charges including counts of possessing drugs with the intent to...
Drug investigation leads to arrests and gun seizures
An investigation into heroin and methamphetamine trafficking in has led to the arrest of five suspects and the seizure of seven illegal guns according to a press release from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Three women and two men were taken into custody...
Alleged Pennsylavia drug gang indicted
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced in a June 3 press release that 11 individuals have been indicted for trafficking heroin, fentanyl and cocaine in Luzerne County. The indictments were handed down by a federal grand jury on...
Nearly half of traffic drug dog searches come up empty
Law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania and across the United States routinely use drug dogs to "alert" officers to the presence of narcotics in vehicles. However, studies have found that a significant percentage of these alerts fail to yield any drugs once the...
What to know about underage alcohol laws
Individuals younger than the age of 21 are not allowed to consume or possess alcohol. Furthermore, someone who is younger than 21 in Pennsylvania or any other state is not allowed to transport or attempt to purchase beer, liquor or similar products. Those who are not...
What to know about a preliminary hearing for a DUI
Individuals in Pennsylvania who are charged with a DUI have the right to take their case to trial. However, before a trial begins, there is usually a preliminary hearing to determine whether one needs to occur at all. A judge will review the evidence that the...
Drug charges can lead to significant penalties
People who sell or attempt to sell controlled substances in Pennsylvania may be charged with a crime. In most cases, possession with intent to distribute charges are separate from drug trafficking charges. If a person is charged with drug trafficking, it means that...
