Field Sobriety Tests
Few things are more dangerous than drinking and driving. Drunk drivers are seven times more likely to get into an accident with a fatality and over 10 times more likely to crash in general. While this is a good reason…
Arrested for Resisting Arrest
Resisting arrest is a criminal offense that is sometimes called obstruction. It describes a number of things that interfere with a police officer attempting to make a lawful arrest. Resisting arrest may involve fleeing from a police officer while being…
Who Controls Police Camera Footage?
Police accountability has been a buzzword of late due to the public outcry over police involvement in the deaths of deaths of Michael Brown and other unarmed men. While we all want more police accountability for the benefit of everyone,…
Out-of-State DUI Issues
If you have ever gotten a speeding ticket in another state, you have an idea of how inconvenient it can be to deal with or fight charges outside of your home state. This is exponentially worse, though, if you are…
Don’t Resist Law Enforcement – Protect Yourself, Let Us Fight for Your Rights
It has become all too clear in the past year that we have a problem with the way that law enforcement sometimes interacts with citizens. Here in Pittsburgh, problems may not have gotten to the point that it has in…
How Is Video Evidence Used in Criminal Cases?
There are many types of evidence that can be used to build a criminal case, but one of the most compelling types of evidence is video. When we can see something with our own eyes, it is usually very convincing….
The Privacy Issues of License Plate Recognition Data
You may have noticed cameras on the roadways of Pennsylvania collecting license plate numbers. As you drive along the roadway, your license plate number and your presence will be recorded whether you are involved in a high-speed police chase or…
Sentencing Alternatives and Conditional Dispositions in Pennsylvania Criminal Cases
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, alternative sentences and conditional dispositions (where charges are dropped after fulfilling certain requirements) through the State Intermediate Punishment (SIP) Program, pretrial diversion programs, and other sentencing option programs help reduce recidivism and save…
Forms of Police Misconduct
Police officers are supposed to protect the law and innocent citizens, yet more and more we see law enforcement perpetrate types of police misconduct, eroding our trust in our police forces. This is unacceptable. We all need to be able…
Is a Medical Marijuana Bill Close to Passing in Pennsylvania?
For the past few years, the Pennsylvania state legislature has been debating a possible medical marijuana bill to no avail, but it looks as though this may be the year that a bill may actually reach Governor Tom Wolf’s desk….
