Comparing Pittsburgh’s Crime Rates to National Rates
Most of us have been victims of crime at some point in our lives, or at least know someone who has been. Yet our country is a safer place to live than most of us think. In fact, Pittsburgh may…
What You Need to Know About Pennsylvania’s Criminal Sentencing Algorithm
Could a computer program determine your fate after a criminal conviction? If the Pennsylvania sentencing commission has its way, computer-assisted sentencing could be just around the corner. While this technology is alluring, there are definite issues the level of foreknowledge…
The Difference Between a Private Criminal Defense Lawyer and a Public Defender
If you need a criminal defense lawyer, you may be wondering whether you should hire a private attorney or work with the public defender’s office. While both can be beneficial, it is often better for your case to have a…
A Warrant Is Necessary to View Cell Phone Data After Supreme Court Ruling
Law enforcement agencies need to get a search warrant before obtaining your cell phone location data, according to a June ruling by the United States Supreme Court. The ruling, which is now binding law in all 50 states, extended people’s…
How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania allows you to use marijuana for certain medicinal conditions. However, you cannot simply walk into a dispensary and buy what you think you need. You must abide by a specific process before you can lawfully purchase, possess, and use…
Will Medical Marijuana Use Limit Your Gun Rights?
As the medical marijuana program in Pennsylvania moves forward in 2018, conflicts have arisen between state and federal law regulations involving a difficult issue. The conflict involves whether individuals who use marijuana in the state for authorized medical purposes can…
New Law Makes Leaving Animals in the Cold a Felony
Libre’s Law passed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Legislature and was signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on June 29, 2017 at the State Capitol, and it imposes more severe penalties on those convicted of certain types of animal…
Worgul Law Firm Wins PA Supreme Court DUI Case
Few people would expect their DUI case to travel all the way to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. But that’s exactly what happened to one of our clients charged with aggravated DUI. The trial court convicted her on the basis of…
Reliability of BAC Tests: BAC Urine Test/Urinalysis
This is the fourth of a four-part series of blogs covering the reliability of BAC tests commonly used by law enforcement officers in Pennsylvania. In this blog, we consider the reliability of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) urine tests, or urinalysis…
Violent Crimes on the Rise in Pittsburgh
Statistics from the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) show that violent crime has been increasing in Pittsburgh. Acts of violent crime can cause devastation for a community, and local law enforcement officials are…
