Centre County DUI
PA Judge Upholds DUI Traffic Stop Based on Driving Too SlowlyPosted in Centre County DUI on July 21, 2025
In Commonwealth v. Surovec, CR-868-2024, the Centre County Court of Common Pleas denied a motion to suppress evidence after a DUI arrest, ruling that the traffic stop was lawful because the driver was traveling at an unreasonably slow speed. This case highlights how driving too slowly—if it disrupts traffic—can provide Pennsylvania law enforcement with probable… view more
Judge Rules “Hot Pursuit” Justified DUI Stop Outside JurisdictionPosted in Centre County DUI, Fourth Amendment on July 17, 2025
In Commonwealth v. Lee, CP-14-CR-1136-2024, the Centre County Court of Common Pleas ruled that a Bellefonte police officer lawfully stopped a suspected drunk driver outside of her jurisdiction under Pennsylvania’s Municipal Police Jurisdiction Act (MPJA). This case provides important guidance for anyone facing DUI charges in Pennsylvania, especially when questions arise about whether officers acted… view more
Judge Denies Suppression Request in Centre County DUIPosted in Centre County DUI on June 28, 2025
DUI Traffic Stop in Centre County: What Happened? In May 2023, police in Spring Township, PA, received a radio report about a recklessly driven silver Chevrolet truck with tinted windows. Minutes later, an officer spotted a similar vehicle and followed it. The driver pulled to the side of the road without activating a turn signal… view more
Illegal Stop Leads to Suppression of Evidence in State College DUIPosted in Centre County DUI on August 20, 2022
Unconstitutional Traffic Stop In a recent State College DUI case, a police officer conducted a traffic stop for a speeding violation. The officer had followed the driver for approximately four miles and, using the police car’s speedometer, clocked the driver’s speed at 53.7 miles per hour in a posted 45 mile per hour zone. During… view more
Judge Dismisses Charges in Centre County DUIPosted in Centre County DUI on July 10, 2022
In a recent Centre County DUI case, a judge was required to determine whether or not the prosecutor had presented sufficient evidence to show that the suspect had been intoxicated to the extent that he was incapable of safe driving. The charge was a bit outside the norm because the suspect had refused to submit… view more
Evidence Suppressed in State College DUI Case – Illegal Traffic StopPosted in Centre County DUI on April 5, 2020
The law applies to everyone, including police officer when performing their duties and conducting investigations. If the police violate a person’s constitutional rights during an investigation, then the law requires that evidence seized as a result of the violation must be suppressed and cannot be used at future court proceedings. It is a simple concept,… view more
State College DUI Case – Officer Can Detain Person Based upon Report of Reckless DrivingPosted in Centre County DUI, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ In a recent State College DUI case, a Centre County judge held that an officer can detain a person after receiving a report of reckless driving. In the case, a Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole officer was following a vehicle as it drove on state route 45 towards Boalsburg… view more
Centre County DUI Court Program – Rehabilitation of Third Time DUI OffendersPosted in Centre County DUI, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ A few years ago, the Centre County DUI program was launched to try and rehabilitate third time offenders of DUI. Some Centre County residents oppose the program and simply want to put third time DUI offenders in prison and throw away the key. While I think that some prison time… view more
State College DUI Suspect Flees From Police, Hits Chipotle RestaurantPosted in Centre County DUI, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ A man appears to have made a few bad decisions that have gotten him into hot water with the Centre County Court system. First, after he drove the wrong way on Beaver Avenue in State College, he chose to flee from the police when they attempted to stop him. The… view more
State College DUI Patrol Results in Five ArrestsPosted in Centre County DUI, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ In order to enforce Pennsylvania DUI laws in Centre County more aggressively, members of the Ferguson, Patton, and Spring Township police departments recently conducted roving patrols that focused on enforcement of traffic violations. The increased effort led to the issuance of 32 traffic citations, 2 Underage Drinking non-traffic summary citations,… view more