General

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

A man in Indiana was recently convicted of rape after the jury or judge found that the man had drugged his wife and sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious. The victim told police that her husband had been doing this for over three years, and she only became aware after she saw three sex… view more

Posted in Felony Drug Delivery / Possession with Intent to Deliver, General on January 12, 2015

I believe that it is undisputed that the current drug-related mandatory minimum sentences in Pennsylvania, like the “drug-free school zone” and “drug trafficking,” are unconstitutional. The laws as written do not require a prosecutor to actually charge a person with the mandatory, and prosecutors are not required to prove applicability of the drug mandatory sentences… view more

Posted in ARD, General on January 12, 2015

A recent Dauphin County case has brought attention to who decides whether a person charged with a criminal offense is permitted to participate in a pretrial diversionary or first-time offender program known as Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition, commonly called “ARD.” With the ARD program, a person pleads not guilty to the criminal charges, but the person… view more

Posted in General, Invasion of Privacy on January 12, 2015

The State College Police Department was notified in January of 2015 that members of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity at Penn State had posted photos of drunk girls in compromising positions on a private Facebook page. A former member of the fraternity brought the matter to the attention of police, most likely to obtain favorable… view more

Posted in General, Manufacturing Marijuana on January 12, 2015

We’ve all heard of the fight for medical marijuana going on in many states throughout the country. This battle was won in Pennsylvania this week, but that doesn’t mean it will not be without its challenges. Following years of lobbying, Governor Tom Wolf signed the use of medical marijuana into law. The reason some of… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ I expect that all of our parents have told us to forgo judging another person until you have walked the proverbial mile in his shoes. I have tried to apply that philosophy in my field as a criminal defense lawyer and do not judge clients. While I try to refrain… view more

Posted in General, Penn State Marijuana Possession on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ Many Penn State students incorrectly assume that marijuana possession is not a big deal because marijuana is legal is some states. The problem with that thinking is that while marijuana is legal is SOME states, it is NOT legal in most states. Former LSU football player Tyrann Mathieu found out… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ As a State College criminal defense lawyer, the majority of my cases are handled by Centre County judges, and many of my clients are Penn State students that have never been in trouble before. In dealing with such clients, I wish that the Centre County criminal cases would be handled… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ A Grinch-like burglar broke into a storage facility in Seattle and stole over $6,000.00 in toys that had been donated to a Toys for Tots program. The local YWCA used a donation of $6,250.00 to purchase approximately 250 toys to give to underprivileged children.  Hopefully the police are able to… view more

Posted in General, Recklessly Endangering Another Person on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ In an article last week, I wrote about a recent Pennsylvania decision involving a mechanic’s conviction of Recklessly Endangering Another Person and Involuntary Manslaughter after he had failed to fix the brakes on a van transporting special needs students. While the van was heading down a steep Pittsburgh hill, the… view more