General

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, Penn State on January 12, 2015

Despite the Penn State football team’s disappointing loss to Ohio State yesterday, Penn State continues to rally in support of the university.  Many outsiders point to the Sandusky travesty and claim that the football program was above the law and bigger than the university.  They use the allegations that school administrators covered up the early… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ Anyone who has watched the wildly popular TV series “The Walking Dead” knows that it incorporates everyday life issues in the context of a zombie-filled world. For example, the series is currently taking a Jerry Springesque turn of “who’s the daddy?” Just a brief background for those who might be… 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 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

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

Posted 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

Posted 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

Posted 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

Posted 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