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Posted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ A 19-year-old engineering student recently fell sixteen feet from the balcony of a State College Apartment building and suffered a broken leg. The State College Police Department suspects that alcohol was involved, which is not surprising in a college town as alcohol and drugs tend to be involved in the… view more
Posted in Domestic Violence - PFA, General on January 12, 2015
Most people understand that there is little to no reality on reality TV shows, including the show “Amish Mafia” on the Discovery Channel. However, when the actors of such reality shows leave the set, true life does begin. According to online reports, Esther Schmucker, the love interest of the Amish Godfather persona Eli on the… view more
Posted in General on January 12, 2015
First, I need to emphasize that people should not possess anything that is illegal, be it drugs, a fake ID, stolen property, or any other form of contraband. However, if you are going to possess such things, leave them at home when you are heading to court. Most Pennsylvania court facilities require a person to… view more
Posted in Drug Possession, General on January 12, 2015
According to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, a Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney was representing a client charged with drug possession and other offenses at a suppression hearing before an Allegheny County judge, and the lawyer questioned her client’s wife about a small wooden box. The wife admitted that the box was hers, and upon opening the… view more
Posted in General on January 12, 2015
A marijuana detecting breathalyzer is in the development phase, and I am sure that law enforcement officers in the U.S. would welcome using such a device during drug-DUI investigations. The creators of the Cannabix Breathalyzer claim that it would allow the police to determine if a person had recently smoked marijuana. Pennsylvania officers often use… view more
Posted in DUI, General on January 12, 2015
Drinking on the job is never a good thing, but it is a bit more obvious when you are in charge of cleaning the ice with a Zamboni machine at a high school hockey game. Similar to a typical DUI case, the police were summoned after people noticed erratic driving of the vehicle. While driving… view more
Posted in ARD, General on January 12, 2015
After being a criminal defense attorney in State College for almost 11 years, I have seen Pennsylvania judges impose sentences on thousands of people, and those sentences generally include a period of jail time, probation, community service, payment of costs and fines, and completion of counseling. The sentences are relatively uniform, and in many cases,… view more
Posted in Drug Possession, General on January 12, 2015
Massachusetts recently repealed a law that had been on the books for almost 30 years which imposed a license suspension for drug possession crimes even though the offenses had nothing to do with driving or a vehicle. According to a Boston Herald article, the legislation was actually supported by law enforcement and passed unanimously by… view more
Posted in Appeal, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ I represented a Centre County client in a Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA) in which two prior defense attorneys had failed to file documents in a timely manner and thereby prevented the courts from considering the client’s appellate arguments. When filing a PCRA petition, the defense lawyer generally claims that… view more
Posted in General on January 12, 2015
While some Penn State students took advantage of afternoon classes being canceled due to Hurricane Sandy by purchasing 40 ounce bottles of Hurricane malt liquor, there were no news reports of any increased criminal activity. Regrettably, news reports have stated that some people in South Brooklyn were involved in looting and fights. Stressful situations sometimes… view more
