General
Suspended Judge Facing Criminal Charges Still Wins Retention VotePosted 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
Pennsylvania Drug-DUI Charges – No Need to Prove “Under the Influence”Posted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ Everyone knows that it is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol if a person’s blood alcohol level is above the legal limit. With alcohol, a person is “under the influence” or affected by the alcohol as long as it is present in the body. The body is able… view more
Meth Smoker Burns 3,500 Year Old Tree – Punishment?Posted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ While some states have legalized or decriminalized marijuana, no state has pushed for the legalization of methamphetamine, and the fact that a meth user was recently accused of destroying a 3,500 year old tree while getting high isn’t going sway public opinion in favor of legalization. The 120 foot tall… view more
Teacher Allowed Body Piercing in School – Charged With Corruption of MinorsPosted in Corruption of Minors, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ A 37-year-old teacher at a school district outside of Philadelphia was recently charged with Endangering the Welfare of Children and Corruption of Minors after allowing a student in her care to pierce the teacher’s ear and another student’s stomach. There is no allegation that the student that was pierced did… view more
Penn State Student’s Return to Happy Valley Starts Badly, Sent to Jail With Aggravated Assault ChargesPosted in Assault, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ A Penn State student returned to State College to start the fall semester, and, not unlike many other returning upperclassmen, chose to catch up with friends the weekend before the start of classes by having a few drinks. This young man’s weekend allegedly took a turn for the worse when… view more
State College Marijuana Possession Conviction Reviewed by Centre County JudgePosted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ A Centre County judge recently considered whether there was sufficient evidence to justify a conviction in a State College Possession of a Small Amount of Marijuana case. Under Pennsylvania law, the district attorney is not required to prove who owned the drugs or marijuana but instead must only prove possession…. view more
Pittsburgh Area Man Gets DUI for Riding Lawn Mower on RoadPosted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ Murrysville police recently stopped a man driving with an open can of beer, which is a violation of Pennsylvania law. Did the police stop the man solely for an Open Container violation? Probably not. It is more likely that the police stopped the man because he was driving a lawn… view more
Judge Suppresses Twelve Pounds of Marijuana in Centre County Possession With Intent to Deliver CasePosted in General on January 12, 2015
In what is a somewhat routine fact pattern in Centre County, a traveler on interstate 80 was stopped for a relatively minor traffic violation but a search of the person’s vehicle ultimately led to the discovery of drugs. In this particular case, the Pennsylvania State troopers stopped a man for speeding and decided to only… view more
State College Burglars Caught on Apartment Surveillance VideoPosted in Burglary, General on January 12, 2015
While the crime rate overall has decreased in State College over State Patty’s Day weekend, it doesn’t mean that serious crimes do not occur. The police received reports of items missing from the Meridian II apartment building, so the police contacted the realty company that manages the building and reviewed video footage. The video shows… view more
DUI, Hit and Run, and Assault on Officer All on Golf Course at U.S. OpenPosted in Assault, General on January 12, 2015
I am sure that many people have heard incidents of recreational golfers sometimes having a few too many drinks while hitting 18 holes, and some of those incidents have resulted in DUI charges because the person drove the golf cart while under the influence. However, a U.S. Open fan recently topped it all. When a… view more