General

Death Penalty is Alive Well In Centre County

By Jason Dunkle on G+ I recently saw a question posted online inquiring whether or not the death penalty was still legal in the U.S.  Not only is the death penalty legal, Pennsylvania was prepared to execute its first inmate 13 in years before a stay was issued by a Pennsylvania court.   I find… view more

Date Rape Drug-Detecting Cups at Penn State Parties?

By Jason Dunkle on G+ A Boston company claims to have made a material that changes color when it comes into contact with date rape drugs. The creator is hoping to use the material to create cups, stirrers, and straws that would alert a drinker that someone had slipped a date rape drug into a… view more

“Flipping the Bird” Can Get You into Trouble

By Jason Dunkle on G+ Two recent cases put the spotlight on giving a person “the bird”, or “flipping them off”, and whether such a gesture is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  In one case, a police officer was the target, but, in the other, the person had the audacity to… view more

Meth Strikes Again – Must Man Pay $160,000 in Restitution?

By Jason Dunkle on G+ A man, lost in a California forest for several days, may be forced to pay for the costs of the rescue efforts after being charged with drug possession.  The man and a female companion were found after a large scale search and rescue effort, an effort that cost an estimated… view more

Pennsylvania DUI Lawyer Accepted Oral Sex In Lieu of Payment

By Jason Dunkle on G+ In a relatively routine situation in Pennsylvania, a woman was charged with driving under the influence, and she met with a DUI attorney to discuss representation. The current DUI was a second offense because the woman had previously completed the Pennsylvania Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program. At the meeting, the… view more

State College Thieves Forget Christmas Is a Time of Giving, Not Taking

According to a State College newspaper, some Christmas day shoppers at the Benner Pike Wal-Mart in Centre County appear to have forgotten that the Christmas season is the time for giving and not taking after they were charged with Retail Theft and Receiving Stolen Property. Maybe they thought that the “giving” portion of the season meant… view more

Judge Rules School Zone Sentence is Constitutional in State College Drug Delivery Case

A Centre County judge has recently issued a ruling in a State College drug delivery case that held that the “drug-free school zone” mandatory minimum sentence is constitutional. The school zone mandatory sentence can be invoked by prosecutors in Pennsylvania drug distribution, possession with intent to deliver, or manufacturing cases if the alleged criminal activity… view more