Author Archives: Gary Gerson
Johnstown Man Faces Federal Charges for Storage Unit Full of Illegal Drugs
In Pittsburgh and many other places in Pennsylvania, you will not face criminal charges for possession of small quantities of marijuana. In December 2015, the city council passed a resolution to decriminalize marijuana possession, as long as the amount in the person’s possession does not exceed 30 grams. Instead, if you have just enough… Read More »
Can You Face Criminal Penalties for Illegally Owning Wild Animals in Pennsylvania?
Not everyone fits neatly into the categories of dog person, cat person, or person who is creeped out by all species besides humans. Some people, if given the opportunity, will tell you that hedgehogs are man’s real best friend, some will tell you that rats are cuddlier than hamsters, and others prefer the companionship… Read More »
Discovery of Western Pennsylvania Woman’s Body in Refrigerator Leads to Criminal Charges
As Pennsylvania reopens in phases, the question remains as to how safe we actually are. The stay-at-home orders helped to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus to the point that the state government has deemed it safe to reopen some previously shuttered businesses in most Pennsylvania counties. Although the weeks of social distancing… Read More »
Drug Bust Uncovers Trafficking Operation Between Philadelphia and Indiana County
With most of the population of Pennsylvania staying at home until COVID-19 cases decrease, some types of crime, such as home burglaries and street corner drug sales, have become less frequent. This does not mean, however, that drug use and illegal drug trafficking have disappeared. Complex operations to transport drugs across Pennsylvania are still… Read More »
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Considers Removing Medical Cannabis Restrictions for People Under Court Supervision
The United States government does not have the right to take away a person’s liberty except as a punishment for a crime. Therefore, only after a fair trial and the other requirements of due process have been completed to prove that the defendant committed the crime of which he or she was accused can… Read More »
Federal Appeals Court Upholds Pennsylvania Man’s 33-Year Sentence for Sex Trafficking
The stereotype about human trafficking is that it involves bringing people into the country illegally and forcing them to work in dangerous conditions for little or no pay. One famous depiction of human trafficking in the popular media is in the 2004 movie Crash, where the character played by Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges finds a… Read More »
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 »
