General

Posted in General, Public Drunkenness on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ Whether they want to admit it or not, many people have been drunk in public, whether it was at a college bar, party, wedding reception, or other social gathering.  The person then feels remorse for the public drunkenness, has to apologize, and wishes that they had a time machine that… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

Many people are familiar with the term sobriety tests in driving under the influence investigations. The Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) are the walk-and-turn, one-legged stand, and horizontal gaze nystagamus (HGN), and these tests have been used by the police in Pennsylvania DUI cases for years. What many non-DUI defense attorneys did not know is… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

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

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

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

Posted in Burglary, General on January 12, 2015

Most people have enough sense to refrain from breaking and entering into a house or place of business.  Those that do make the bad decision to commit such a trespass normally do so with the intent to steal something of value, such as electronics and money.  A State College burglar recently broke into into a… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

Who hasn’t seen a video on TV or on YouTube in which a driver hits a mud puddle after a recent storm and splashes a person walking nearby? I do not believe that I have ever done such a thing, but I am sure that I have been tempted when the situation arose. In a… view more

Posted in General, Legal Ethics on January 12, 2015

A Texas judge recently resigned after it was discovered that she had been texting a prosecutor during the trial. Not only was the judge texting the prosecutor, which constitutes ex parte communications, meaning communications without the defense side being present, but the content of the communications were intended to assist the prosecution’s case. The judge… view more

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

Many people are now aware of the recent passage of “revenge porn” statutes across the country, but many people do not even know what the phrase “revenge porn” means. Generally speaking, it often arises in the context of one person posting naked or nude photos of an ex-paramour or spouse on social media sites such… view more

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

According to online news reports, the State College Borough is considering following the lead of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and passing a local ordinance to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. This does not mean that marijuana is now legal in Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, a person that possesses less than 30 grams of marijuana for… view more

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ With Halloween quickly approaching, our streets in State College, Centre Hall, Bellefonte, and other local towns will be filled with kids going door-to-door as part of the annual trick-or-treating adventure. My three kids are excited to have  the opportunity to obtain more candy in one evening than they should consume… view more