Author Archives: David R. Eshelman
Teach Your Children − the Legal Perils of High School Sex
Michelle was 12 years old and in 7th grade, but her neighbor and best friend was 16 and in high school. The two girls walked to school together every morning since their schools were only three blocks apart. Chris, a 17-year-old athlete at the local high school, often joined the girls on their way to […]
Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenses in Pennsylvania State Court
Jerry graduated from high school two years ago, but he still has friends on his old team, and his girlfriend is now a senior. Jerry was always popular. Unfortunately, when Jerry was caught bringing bundles of recreational controlled substances to his friends in the school parking lot, he came face to face with Pennsylvania’s mandatory […]
Drug Paraphernalia Offenses
Following tips received in 2012, Lancaster police conducted surveillance of residences in the 500 block of Pershing Avenue that intelligence sources said were drug houses. After months of surveillance and corroboration, the investigating officers secured search warrants and in January, 2013 raided two homes believed to be centers of drug trafficking. Despite ample probable cause […]
Five Things You Need to Know About Juvenile Justice
Unlike adult criminal courts whose focus is primarily punishment and deterrence, the juvenile court system is focused on rehabilitating delinquent children through a wide variety of programs to make them responsible and productive members of the community Nonetheless, any parent should be concerned about the collateral consequences of certain juvenile court adjudications. Juvenile adjudications − […]
Defending Yourself Against Pennsylvania Drug Distribution or Trafficking Charges
The “war on drugs” is in full force in Pennsylvania. At a recent press conference, Pennsylvania law enforcement officials displayed handguns, a sawed off shotgun, $50,000 in cash, $300,000 worth of cocaine, $75,000 worth of heroin and a vehicle equipped with a trap-door in which to hide contraband. This was just part of the haul […]
Distracted Driving — It’s a Danger to All
Earlier this year in Berks County, a tour bus driver was fired from his job for driving while scrolling through his smartphone emails and texts. At one point he reached for another electronic device and took his hands off the steering wheel while the bus was moving. His distracted driving was caught on video by […]
Sexual Violence in Juvenile Detention Facilities
The Department of Justice just released a shocking report, the National Survey of Youth in Custody, on the incidence of sexual assault and other involuntary sexual acts committed on juveniles in the nation’s detention facilities. Nationwide the figure looms darkly: 9.5 percent of children incarcerated have experienced sexual violence. In Pennsylvania, the figure is 7.5 […]
Missing Children — What to Know
Nationally the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database indicated that there were more than 85,000 active missing-person records by the end of 2011. In Pennsylvania, that number was just over 3,350 as of February 1, 2013. We have many misconceptions about why and how children go missing. Here are some facts you should know: Only […]
Internet Privacy — What You Need to Know
Admit it: When did you ever read through a privacy statement on a website? Americans visit an average of 1,462 different websites annually. To read all of the privacy statements connected with each would take 10 days a year — if you are a fast reader able to get through a lot of legalese. The […]
