Category Archives: Drug Crime
Police Seize Suitcase Full of Drugs After Transaction in Front of New Stanton Motel
A criminal charge for drug possession, also known as “simple possession,” usually means that the amount of controlled substance seized was only enough for a few doses; therefore, the prosecution assumes that the defendant intended to consume the drugs himself or herself. When the amount is more than enough for one person to consume… Read More »
Westmoreland County Couple Arrested on Allegations of Operating Meth Lab
Depending on context, almost anything can be drug paraphernalia. Is that souvenir spoon from the Liberty Bell gift shop hanging on the kitchen wall in its original decorative packaging, or is it on the kitchen counter, coated in residue that might be heroin? Are those tiny plastic baggies full of spare buttons, or are… Read More »
Police Revive Man Who Suffered Accidental Overdose at Pittsburgh Mills Walmart
Naloxone, which is also known by the brand name Narcan, can reverse the effects of opioid overdose very quickly. Since it has become available, many people have survived overdoses that would have otherwise been fatal. One of the reasons behind Pennsylvania’s Good Samaritan law, which protects people who call for medical assistance for overdose… Read More »
Greensburg Woman Offered Plea Deal to Drop Felony Charges Related to Wife’s Overdose Death
The pain of losing a loved one to a drug overdose is a devastating experience that many people in Western Pennsylvania know all too well. What is even worse is when other people blame you for not being able to save the person that you desperately didn’t want to lose. Worst of all is… Read More »
Bystander Opioid Overdoses: Myth or Reality?
Washing your hands is an effective way of reducing your risk of exposure to a variety of harmful things, but irrational fears of contamination through accidental contact with the skin can do more harm than good. Foodborne pathogens can’t hurt you unless you ingest them; you wash your hands after handling raw chicken so… Read More »
Uncle of Allegheny County Teen Who Suffered Fatal Overdose Gets One Year for Child Endangerment
It is possible to face criminal charges, up to and including homicide, if someone else fatally overdoses on drugs they got from you. These charges can apply whether the victim bought the drugs from you, if you gave the drugs to the victim, or, in the case of a child or teen victim, if… Read More »
Cocaine or Clearasil? Field Drug Test Kits Can’t Tell the Difference
If you were a child in the 1980s, you probably owned a mood ring; maybe you bought it at a dollar store when one first opened in your town, or perhaps it was a party favor at a classmate’s birthday party. The rings claimed to change color to reflect your mood; in fact, the… Read More »
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 »
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 »
