Category Archives: Drug Charges
Overdose Deaths in Pennsylvania Rose by 37 Percent in 2016
According to a recent announcement by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania rose by a stunning 37 percent in 2016. On average, 13 people died per day of a drug overdose in the state, leading to a record-high figure for drug deaths in the state in a single year. There […]
Pennsylvania Attorney General Announces Major Drug Bust
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro recently announced that the state is filing criminal charges against 49 people accused of either selling or possessing heroin and an assortment of other illegal drugs in Blair County. The charges came about through a cooperative investigation from the Office of the Attorney General, the Blair County Drug Task Force, […]
Bill to Restore Mandatory Minimum Sentences Gets Support from Law Enforcement Community
District attorneys across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have come out in full support of the restoration of mandatory minimum sentences for certain offenses. Likely crimes that would be tied to these mandatory minimums would be those involving children, drugs and the elderly. The bill, HB 741, has already been passed in a vote out of […]
Richland Man Sentenced to Prison for “Drug Delivery Resulting in Death”
A heroin dealer will spend between eight-and-a-half and 20 years in state prison, following sentencing for the crime of “drug delivery resulting in death.” Twenty-nine-year-old Anthony L. Spencer sold heroin to 23-year-old Shawn Kemble, who subsequently died of an overdose in August 2015. Under § 2506 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Spencer could have received […]
DEA Attempting to Achieve More Accurate Drug Death Reporting
Four months ago, two reports gave very different numbers when it comes to drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania. Now, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has partnered with a state academic organization to make significant improvements to the way it analyzes and reports drug deaths. According to the Philadelphia office of the DEA, the agency […]
Benefits of Treatment Over Punishment When It Comes to Drug Crimes
Throughout Pennsylvania and across the country, increasing numbers of public officials are coming to the realization that prioritizing treatment over incarceration for drug offenders could save taxpayers billions of dollars in the long term. And, these efforts would likely benefit communities and actually improve public safety. According to the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, these cost […]
Quad State Legislative Conference Focuses on Justice Reform
Criminal justice reform was one of the primary areas of focus at the recent Quad-State Legislative Conference, which featured state legislators from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The annual conference, which took place in August, featured discussions on policy issues important to each state — and finding solutions to crime was determined to be […]
Gov. Wolf Aims to Decriminalize Possession of Small Amounts of Marijuana
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has joined an increasing number of public officials who support the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana. During an interview on PBS affiliate WITF, Gov. Wolf said that arrests for possession of small amounts of the drug are “clogging up our prisons…and it’s hurting our economy.” He went on to say […]
Officials Look at Better Ways to Manage Opioid Epidemic
A 75-member advisory group working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office is getting closer to unveiling an action plan to combat the opioid epidemic impact communities throughout Pennsylvania and across the country. The advisory group, which includes law enforcement officials, health experts and drug abuse prevention specialists (among other professionals), is working on a plan to […]
