Author Archives: David R. Eshelman
Tougher Pennsylvania DUI Laws Ineffective at Reducing Drunk Driving
When Pennsylvania lowered its legal alcohol limit from .10 to .08 in 2003, the expectation was that the stricter driving under the influence law would act as a deterrent, resulting in safer streets, fewer fatalities and fewer arrests for intoxicated driving. Additional changes in Pennsylvania DUI law mandated longer jail times for repeat offenders. Unfortunately, […]
US Attorney General Calls for Broad Review of Police Tactics
At a meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors in Little Rock, AR, outgoing Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. asked the assembled mayors and police chiefs to cooperate in a broad review of policing tactics. Referencing President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1965 Commission on Law Enforcement, Holder said he hoped the current Justice Department […]
False Confessions, Corpus Delicti and Pennsylvania Law
Over the summer, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued two important rulings that will have an impact on the state’s legal system. However, the rulings send a mixed message at best, and are directly contradictory at worst. In the first case, the Court ruled that experts on human memory, particularly as it applies to eyewitness testimony […]
Man in Boating Accident Gets Unusual ARD Outcome
A 21-year-old man involved in a fatal boating accident last summer was placed on probation for four years at a hearing on September 2. A first-time offender, the defendant was accepted into Pennsylvania’s accelerated rehabilitative disposition program and required to pay $650, complete 100 hours of community service, and take a boating safety course. Successful […]
Juvenile or Adult: How It Works in Pennsylvania
One of the suspects in an August bar robbery admitted in juvenile court to his involvement. The 14-year-old, along with three teenagers 18 years or older, allegedly robbed Victor’s Café in Spring Township after closing time, making off with liquor and $700. The younger teen has admitted to conspiracy to commit robbery. This case comes […]
What Leads to a Charge of Possession with Intent to Deliver?
More than a dozen suspected drug dealers were nabbed in an early-morning raid in Berks County on September 3, 2014, in what officials are calling a response to concerned citizens. The 13 arrested individuals are believed to be low- to mid-level dealers of heroin, cocaine and marijuana. All but one of them is charged with […]
How Effective Are DUI Checkpoints?
Labor Day wasn’t likely much of a holiday for the six people arrested at a DUI checkpoint in Lower Macungie Township over the weekend. In addition, of the 91 motorists who were stopped, eight were issued citations. Four of the arrests were for driving under the influence, while the other two were for possession of […]
Law Enforcement Officer Accused of Embezzlement
Lieutenant Hovie Pope Jr., a former North Carolina police officer, was indicted last month on charges of embezzlement. Pope had been a member of the North Carolina Internal Affairs Investigators Association, serving as its treasurer and even president for the 2002 – 2003 year, and it was discovered that more than $30,000 had been embezzled […]
Advocates Call for Increased Use of Ignition Interlock Devices
Since Mothers Against Drunk Driving and other safe-driving advocates have begun escalating campaigns against drunk driving, the number of states mandating the installation of Ignition Interlock Devices (IIDs) for all offenders has increased to 25 in recent years. But not many states require IIDs, a device that prevents drivers under the influence from operating their […]
Pennsylvania Allows for Restricted Driver’s License
If your driver’s license has been suspended as a result of a traffic violation conviction, it is possible to obtain a restricted license in its place. Licenses can be suspended due to accumulation of points or underage alcohol violations, which are instances in which you may be able to apply for a restricted license. If […]
