Author Archives: Gary Gerson
Pittsburgh Woman Sentenced to 39 Months in Prison for Identity Theft
With information being shared so easily on the Internet, it is easier than ever for one person to impersonate another convincingly enough to make fraudulent financial transactions in that person’s name. Despite consumers’ caution regarding identifying information such as social security numbers and birthdates, identity theft is common enough these days that most consumers… Read More »
Elizabeth Borough Police Chief Charged with Stealing Heroin from Police Department Evidence Room
Even before the public awareness campaigns of the 1980s that attempted to scare young people out of using any kind of illegal drugs, heroin had a reputation as the scariest drug. It was not only the drug’s potency that led to its fearsome image, but also the dangerous circumstances associated with the lives of… Read More »
Northampton Area School District Bus Driver Charged with DUI After Abandoning Bus Full of Students
Adults who watched the early episodes of The Simpsons easily identified Otto Mann, the school bus driver, as an enthusiast of drugs, but while that reference went over the heads of school-aged viewers of the show, many of them could relate to having a school bus driver who embodied a carefree attitude toward the… Read More »
Teen Uses Common Sense to Avoid Kidnapping in Ridley Township
Every kindergartener knows not to talk to strangers, but a look at the reports of missing children tells a different story. In most instances where children are abducted or abused by adults, the aggressor is someone the child knows, often a family member. Child abusers often spend months or even years trying to gain… Read More »
ASAP Bari Avoids Jail and Probation by Pleading Guilty to Misdemeanor Marijuana Charges
The leading news story this week about the legal troubles of celebrities has played out far from Pennsylvania. The parents of every college student who works his or her fingers to the bone studying to maintain a high enough GPA to keep a much-needed scholarship have been powerless to avoid gawking at the headlines… Read More »
UPS Driver Charged with DUI After Multi-Vehicle Crash in O’Hara Township
DUI laws in Pennsylvania have been strict since drunk driving was first officially outlawed, and it seems like they are only getting tougher. You might think that drinking and driving is not a big deal, but sometimes just a small amount of alcohol can impair someone’s driving ability enough to cause a major accident. … Read More »
Court Drops Charges Against Woman Who Filmed Her Arrest
Thanks to smartphones, almost anyone can make a video recording almost anywhere. And, to be sure, video recordings can tell truths that would otherwise be unknown, and thus they can be an important piece of evidence in court. Today, the story of Melanie Carter’s cell phone video of her own arrest ended with a… Read More »
John Fetterman, the New Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, Will Head the Board of Pardons
Recent news cycles have made it difficult to miss the recently sworn-in Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, and leave it to the media to focus on outward appearance instead of on substantial issues. With his shaved head and his gentle giant figure, John Fetterman does not look much like how your grandparents would expect a… Read More »
When Is Sending Someone a Picture of Hannibal Lecter a Crime?
Context is everything. Famous quotes and images from movies are everywhere. However, in the right circumstances, a movie reference can be a threat, and threatening someone is against the law. Last September, a Westmoreland County man was acquitted of threatening a judge by sending her a picture of an intimidating character from a famous… Read More »
Is It Kidnapping If It Is Your Own Child?
Any lawyer or judge who deals with the family court system will tell you that child custody disputes are among the most difficult type of dispute to resolve. While people make plenty of threats about taking the children away from one or another relative or about having their ex arrested because of some bad… Read More »
