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Posted in General on January 12, 2015

Mere Encounter or Detention People often question whether or not they are required to stop and talk to a police officer if they are approached on the street. As with almost everything, the answer is “it depends.” There is a distinction in the law between a “mere encounter” with a police officer and an “investigative… 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

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ With Halloween quickly approaching, our streets in State College, Centre Hall, Bellefonte, and other local towns will be filled with kids going door-to-door as part of the annual trick-or-treating adventure. My three kids are excited to have  the opportunity to obtain more candy in one evening than they should consume… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ I understand that many Penn State alums and Centre County residents would like to close the book on Sandusky and put the issue in the rearview mirror, but I wonder if the State College criminal defense lawyer representing Sandusky may  have some legitimate issues to pursue on appeal. As Sandusky… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ In a recent blog, I discussed how a Chicago lawyer got into hot water with the state ethics board after he submitted a help wanted ad for a legal assistant that was willing to provide sexual services on Craigslist.  While the actions of the lawyer only resulted in ethical violations… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ A judge in Illinois won a retention election despite serving a suspension since March with pending misdemeanor assault charges for pushing a sheriff’s deputy. Similar to sitting judges in Pennsylvania, judges in Illinois that are seeking re-election are not actually opposed by another judicial candidate. Instead, voters  basically choose to… view more

Posted in False Identification,General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ When mentioning False Identification to Law Enforcement, I am not meaning the routine situation in Centre County involving an underage person possessing a fake ID that is being used to buy alcohol. While such offenses are routinely filed by  the State College police as Penn State students and their friends… view more

Posted in General,Penn State on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ Talk about a poor sport! New Orleans Saints football fan David Mancina has filed a class-action suit against the NFL for $5 million, probably sparked by the Saints’ current 1-4 record. Not only has the league suspended the head coach and several players for supporting an alleged pay-to-injure program, the… view more

Posted in General,Penn State on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ The Penn State football team’s dominant win at Iowa not only extended Penn State’s winning streak to 5 games, but it was also Penn State’s first win in Iowa City in 13 years.  After dropping the first 2 games of the season to teams that the Nittany Lions were expected… view more

Posted in General,Penn State Marijuana Possession on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ Many Penn State students incorrectly assume that marijuana possession is not a big deal because marijuana is legal is some states. The problem with that thinking is that while marijuana is legal is SOME states, it is NOT legal in most states. Former LSU football player Tyrann Mathieu found out… view more