Category Archives: Drug Crime
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 »
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 »
Leave the Police Chases for the Action Movies: Stop and Contact a Defense Lawyer
High speed police chases often form the climactic scenes in movies. Even real-life police chases, and even at relatively low speeds, can attract viewers’ attention; in the summer of 1994, millions of Americans were glued to their television sets as police pursued O.J. Simpson, who was suspected of murdering his ex-wife, as he rode… Read More »
Not Only Driving While Intoxicated, but Even Walking While Intoxicated Can Be a Crime If a Child Is with You
Many crimes become more serious if the victims are children. Even if the child has not suffered physical harm because of the defendant’s actions, the mere presence, or even potential presence, of a child can escalate the charges. For example, selling drugs near a school is a worse crime than simply selling drugs. Sexual… Read More »
Whitehall Township Man Faces Drug Trafficking Charges After Probation Officers Finds Drugs and Paraphernalia in His Apartment
If a judge sentences you to probation, it means that you stay out of jail, at least for now. It also means that you will be subject to very close scrutiny by probation officers and police. Violating the terms of your probation can get you a longer prison sentence than you would have gotten… Read More »
