Author Archives: Gary Gerson
Impacts of Supreme Court Decision on Sex Offender Registration
Receiving a conviction as a sex offender can have devastating consequences to both personal and professional aspects of life. Information about offenders is readily available to the public via the Sex Offender Public Website. With a simple search, a plethora of information regarding a registered sex offender is available, ranging from a picture and… Read More »
UPDATE: A Lifetime Behind Bars for Juvenile Offenders Dealt Huge Blow
On June 25, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in the consolidated cases Jackson v. Hobbs and Miller v. Alabama. In a hotly contested 5-4 decision, the justices struck down mandatory life sentences without parole for juvenile offenses as a violation of the Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The new ruling does not mean life… Read More »
White collar crime: accountant charged with tax evasion
White collar crime like tax evasion can devastate a company’s reputation and seriously hurt the entire enterprise. In addition, if forensic accountants are able to pinpoint the error and find that it was being made on purpose to embezzle money or commit any type of fraud, the guilty party or parties can be looking at… Read More »
Pennsylvania superintendent charged with DUI
Driving while under the influence of alcohol is never a good decision, but sometimes, people make mistakes. While drunk driving charges carry a certain social stigma, especially for those in positions in the public eye, it may be possible for first-time offenders to take part in alternative programs that can make it easier to go back… Read More »
Federal drug charges for ‘Bricks R Us’ heroin gang members
Getting busted with hardcore drugs can mean tens of thousands in fines and several years in prison. Judges are not lenient on drug charges stemming from narcotics arrests for things like heroin and crystal meth. For example, less than five grams of heroin can land a person in jail for as long as two years, and more than… Read More »
Defendants’ rights expanded in drug crimes cases
A recent ruling from the highest court in the nation has left some Pennsylvania judges confused about the proper method for applying the law in a variety of drug cases. The ruling, which was handed down in 2013, determined that juries — not judges — should be responsible for deciding whether a defendant committed… Read More »
Drunk driving arrests over Memorial Day weekend
In Pittsburgh, DUI enforcement around the holidays in increasingly imposed. The night before Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve usually sees the highest rate of drunk driving arrests over the course of a year, but “holiday weekends,” those days leading up to Labor Day and Memorial Day, can be a gold mine for police on the prowl… Read More »
Pennsylvania man facing criminal charges for personal expression
In a country that is supposed to support freedom of speech, there are some instances in which asserting this right might lead to criminal charges. A recent case in Pennsylvania might interest readers because the person being charged with crimes might infuriate some people because of the way the man asserted his right to… Read More »
Should Pennsylvania Sheriffs and Deputies Have More Authority?
A bill just voted down by a Pennsylvania State House of Representatives committee could have granted county sheriffs and their deputies additional authority to apprehend suspected criminals and investigate crimes. The idea had been met with a surprising amount of opposition from a number of law enforcement agencies, unions and some legislators around the… Read More »
Your car is open to police, says Pennsylvania Supreme Court
In a ruling that defense attorneys and civil rights experts have come out against, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said in early May that police can search vehicles in the absence of a warrant if probable cause exists. According to the court’s decision, probable cause is established if police have any reason to suspect that… Read More »
