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Recent Blog Posts
What New Fines for Underage Drinking Can Mean to You
Getting stopped for driving under the influence (DUI) is the last thing young partygoers think about when heading out for an evening of friends and fun. But it can weigh heavily on their minds when they are hit with the new fines for underage drinking that went into effect on Christmas Eve 2012. The increase […]
PA Putting Out the Red Flag for Hit and Run Drivers
Being involved in a car accident can be a traumatizing experience, both for an accident victim and the driver. Many drivers panic and seek to flee the scene. The law expects drivers to fight this urge and requires them to show the victim or a police officer at the scene their driver’s license and insurance […]
Six Tips to Help Your Loved Ones Safely Use the Internet
The recent arrest of ten men involved in child pornography in Berks County should be a warning for adults and children alike. For parents of young kids such news can be especially frightening. But minors are not only victims online. Sometimes minors can be perpetrators as well. Sharing photos of oneself or others, known as […]
Qualifying for the Berks County DUI Alternative to Jail
A new father celebrating the birth of his son with a few beers gets arrested for a DUI (driving under the influence). Will he have to spend the first days of his new son’s life in a county jail? Berks County has an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) Program for DUI. This program is an alternative […]
What is the STOP Program?
When a state trooper and a middle school principal are stopped in Berks County for driving under the influence (DUI), you know that drinking and driving is a serious problem. It is estimated that in the United States, 50 percent of first time DUI offenders and 80 percent of second and subsequent DUI offenders will […]
New Megan’s Law Casts a Wider Net
A man interferes with his wife’s visitation rights, a teenage girl has sex with her younger boyfriend, and an amateur photographer takes pictures of young girls in the park. Will these people have to register under the new Megan’s Law that just went into effect in Pennsylvania? The answers can be frightening. The new law […]
Straight Shooting: Kids and Guns
Just like in the aftermath of the Amish school shooting in Lancaster County in 2006, kids and guns have been in the news a lot after the Newtown school massacre and for good reason. In 2011, minors under age 18 made up over one quarter of those arrested for illegal possession of weapons in Pennsylvania. […]
Pennsylvania’s Ignition Interlock Device Rules
After finding that alcohol was a major factor in wrong-way driving crashes, the National Transportation Safety Board recently recommended that states require ignition interlock devices (IIDs) to be installed on cars driven by anyone convicted of driving under the influence (DUI), even first-time offenders. Currently, PA law only requires an IID to be installed after […]
How Can the Berks County Drug Court Help You?
According to recent figures, the prison population in Pennsylvania has increased by 625% over the last 32 years. In the last eight years, Berks County has been trying to stem the increase in incarceration rates by using specialized treatment courts to get people the help they need rather than throwing them in jail. Berks County […]
How to Get Juvenile Records Expunged
When juveniles are convicted of a crime, the stain can follow them throughout their lives. It can affect educational opportunities, credit ratings, the ability to join the military, and the pursuit of job prospects. This can be true even if the information in the files is outdated or just plain wrong. Fortunately, there is a […]
