Monthly Archives: December 2018
New Anti-Hazing Law Introduced After Death of Penn State Fraternity Member
The Pennsylvania state legislature recently passed an anti-hazing law that was proposed after the death of a Penn State student who had been drinking at a fraternity house in early 2017. Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill into law shortly after the legislature passed it. The bill allows prosecutors to seek stricter criminal penalties and […]
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Toughen State’s DUI Penalties
After years of receiving criticism about Pennsylvania’s relative weakness in the area of driving under the influence (DUI) enforcement, state legislators passed a bill in October that would impose stricter penalties on repeat offenders. The legislation is Senate Bill 961. It is expected to levy harsher penalties on those convicted of DUI starting in 2019. […]
Are Felony Drug Charges Helping Deter Opioid Use in Pennsylvania?
Drug-related deaths and overdoses are on the rise across the country, and Pennsylvania is one of the states hit the hardest by the opioid crisis. In fact, earlier this year, the state declared the epidemic a state of emergency, indicating just how serious the problem has become here. One of the tools state officials are […]
Pennsylvania to End Mandatory License Suspensions for Some Crimes
The Pennsylvania State Legislature recently passed House Bill 163, which will eliminate mandatory driver’s license suspensions in cases involving drug crimes that were not related to driving. The state had been one of only about a dozen left that would implement mandatory driver’s license suspensions in cases that had nothing to do with operating a […]
Pennsylvania Senate Passes Bill to Change Definition of Crime Victim
The most recent session of the Pennsylvania state legislature featured some contentious debates over various pieces of legislation and issues. Perhaps the most important development of the session was the passage of Senate Bill 897. The new law expands the definition of a victim of a crime to include nonprofit organizations, businesses and other entities. […]
