Author Archives: Gary Gerson
Are Non-Fatal Shootings Aggravated Assault or Attempted Murder?
Few things are scarier than when someone fires a gun in a room full of unsuspecting people. Even when the shooting does not lead to any deaths, the survivors spend the rest of their lives feeling lucky, and perhaps a bit incredulous, that they are still alive. If someone has pointed a gun in… Read More »
International Student Defendants Have the Same Rights as Any Defendants in Criminal Cases
The United States is the world’s most popular destination for international students; more people come to the U.S. to pursue bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees than any other country. In 2018, more than a million international students were enrolled in U.S. universities; China, India, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia were the home countries of… Read More »
When the Marijuana Is Legal but the Currency Used to Pay for It Is Illegal
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is the government office responsible for investigating financial crimes. It was established as part of the Department of the Treasury in 1990, and while its original purpose was to investigate transactions related to money laundering and funding of terrorist activities, it plays a role in investigating many kinds… Read More »
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 »
