Recent Blog Posts
Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty After Authorities Seize 40 Grams of Fentanyl
In the past few years, fentanyl has become notorious as the scariest and most dangerous opioid, especially as the focus of media coverage of the opioid epidemic has shifted from oxycodone to heroin to fentanyl. In 2016, when two famous musicians, Prince and Tom Petty, died from accidental fentanyl overdoses, it was the first… Read More »
Confrontation Over All-Terrain Vehicle Leads to Shooting, Arrest for Attempted Murder
Online classified ads make it possible to find used vehicles for sale much more quickly, less expensively, and with less hassle than you would be able to by going to a dealership. There is always some risk in these informal transactions, though. If the worst thing that happens is that you get scammed, you… Read More »
Wilkinsburg Man Receives Guilty Verdict Relating to 2017 Crash in Which a Passenger Died
Lots of people fear air travel, train travel, boating, and amusement park rides, but in fact all of those are less dangerous than traveling by car, which many of us do every day. Car accidents have been a leading cause of premature death since the invention of the automobile, but cars and driving have… Read More »
Westmoreland County Doctor Convicted of Four Counts of Drug Distribution but Acquitted of Other Charges
When a defendant is on trial for multiple offenses, the jury must decide about each one independently of the others. Imagine that Mrs. Peacock calls the police to report her candlestick stolen, and she alleges that Professor Plum stole it. The police search Professor Plum’s house, and they find a variety of items that… Read More »
Leave the Police Chases for the Action Movies: Stop and Contact a Defense Lawyer
High speed police chases often form the climactic scenes in movies. Even real-life police chases, and even at relatively low speeds, can attract viewers’ attention; in the summer of 1994, millions of Americans were glued to their television sets as police pursued O.J. Simpson, who was suspected of murdering his ex-wife, as he rode… Read More »
Not Only Driving While Intoxicated, but Even Walking While Intoxicated Can Be a Crime If a Child Is with You
Many crimes become more serious if the victims are children. Even if the child has not suffered physical harm because of the defendant’s actions, the mere presence, or even potential presence, of a child can escalate the charges. For example, selling drugs near a school is a worse crime than simply selling drugs. Sexual… Read More »
When a Cell Phone Becomes an Instrument of Crime
When is it a crime simply to have a phone in your possession? It depends. In general, almost anyone is free to have a phone. You do not even have to have a license for it, like you do to buy a firearm or drive a car. You do not even have to be… Read More »
Cell Phones Are Often a Source of Incriminating Evidence in Sex Crimes Cases
Most cases of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment go unreported. Sometimes the abusers intimidate them into keeping the abuse a secret, and even if that does not happen, the victims sometimes fear that no one will believe them or that the people closest to them will blame them for what happened. Sometimes they do… Read More »
Is Prison Boot Camp Better or Worse Than Just Plain Old Doing Time?
Everyone’s prison experience is different. It depends on several factors, including the crime for which you are being sentenced, any previous convictions you have and, unfortunately, how well-connected you are. Celebrities who have been found guilty or are facing a trial sometimes consult prison coaches who advise them on how to cope with the… Read More »
Whitehall Township Man Faces Drug Trafficking Charges After Probation Officers Finds Drugs and Paraphernalia in His Apartment
If a judge sentences you to probation, it means that you stay out of jail, at least for now. It also means that you will be subject to very close scrutiny by probation officers and police. Violating the terms of your probation can get you a longer prison sentence than you would have gotten… Read More »
