General
Making Light of a Bad SituationPosted in Criminal Records/Expungement, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ I recently came across an article in which a person truly made light of a bad situation. Josh Sundquist lost a leg due to cancer at the age of 10. After becoming cancer-free at the age of 13, he moved forward with his life in a dramatic way and represented… view more
Stealing a Pet in Pennsylvania – Is It Theft or Kidnapping?Posted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ I recently read a few articles online that New Mexico police filed criminal charges against a suspected serial dog kidnapper after a dog owner chased the dognapper’s car and observed two kidnapped pit bulls being thrown from the moving vehicle. The suspect was charged with Animal Cruelty, False Imprisonment, and… view more
Pennsylvania’s Rejection of Automobile Exception to Warrant Requirement QuestionedPosted in Constitutional Rights, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ I recently spent a Thursday evening watching taped oral arguments from lawyers before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on the Pennsylvania Cable Network. In the case of Commonwealth v. Gary, the Court is considering whether or not it should adopt the Federal standard regarding the search of automobiles, generally referred to… view more
Stuffing Bra? Use Tissues, Not Baggies of HeroinPosted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ Route 80 has a reputation as being a “drug highway,” but I doubt that most police officers would expect to find over 300 packets of heroin in a woman’s bra during a routine traffic stop. The woman was charged with Possession With Intent to Distribute heroin after New Jersey police… view more
Woman Charged with Corruption of Minors After Using Teen’s Urine to Pass Drug TestPosted in Corruption of Minors, General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ Criminal charges were recently filed in a Centre County court against a Philipsburg woman after allegedly obtaining urine from a teenager and submitting that urine to Children and Youth Services (CYS) to pass a drug test. How does one segway to a conversation about borrowing some urine? Possibly a posting… view more
Pennsylvania Contraband Charge Justified by Possession of Small Amount of MarijuanaPosted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ People may generally know that contraband is something that a person is not legally permitted to have. At Centre County ARD placements, I routinely hear the judge order the destruction of contraband, which normally means destroying the marijuana and related paraphernalia that had been possessed by a Penn State University… view more
Drunk Driver Flees Scene of Accident in Child’s Power Wheel TruckPosted in General on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ I recently came across an article about a DUI case that was very different on many fronts. Instead of being a typical driving under the influence situation in which the driver is swerving all over the road, the police conduct a traffic stop that leads to administration of field sobriety… view more
Penn State Wrestler Should Receive Same Treatment in State College DUI CasePosted in General on January 12, 2015
A very prominent Penn State wrestler was recently arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence in State College, and a blood test showed that his blood alcohol level was a .281%. When I saw a “prominent” wrestler, you do not get much better than being a two-time national champion that is currently pursuing a… view more
Snow Removal 101 – Flame Thrower or SnowblowerPosted in General, Recklessly Endangering Another Person on January 12, 2015
By Jason Dunkle on G+ Almost everyone in Happy Valley is tired of the wintry weather and the shoveling of snow, but I do not recommend that people become overly creative in their snow removal efforts. A man in Fargo, North Dakota, acted like Tim Taylor from the 1990’s show Home Improvement and used a… view more
Aggravated Assault Charge Added Against Former Penn State Football PlayerPosted in Assault, General on January 12, 2015
A former Penn State football player appeared at his preliminary hearing today facing a misdemeanor charge of Simple Assault, and he left facing a felony charge of Aggravated Assault to go along with the Simple Assault. While a person charged with a criminal offense has the right to challenge the charges at a preliminary hearing,… view more