Tag Archives: drug charges
Routine Traffic Stop Turns Into Human Trafficking and Drug Charges
When police in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania made a routine traffic stop along Interstate 81, they likely never would have guessed what awaited them. According to police, the vehicle contained several thousand baggies of heroin, as well as four teenage girls being trafficked by two adults in the vehicle. The vehicle was originally pulled over for a […]
Defense Methods Available for People Charged with Drug Possession
When you are charged with the possession of illegal drugs, whether for personal use or for the intent to sell, there are specific defenses that you might be able to use depending on the circumstances surrounding your case. The following are a few common defense strategies against drug possession charges, some of which are used […]
Pennsylvania Ramps Up Efforts to Target Heroin-Related Drug Crimes
In an effort to crack down on a growing heroin problem, Pennsylvania is joining with New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts to form an interstate coalition for investigating and prosecuting heroin traffickers. It is expected that other Northeastern states will join the group in the coming weeks. The idea for the coalition grew out of […]
Marijuana Legalization Efforts Stall, Advocates Push On
Although the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is beginning to seem amenable to the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes and the overall movement on the issue is trending toward broad legalization, the House does not yet seem ready to sign on to a bill that recently passed the Senate. While the Senate bill took almost […]
Prescription Crimes in Pennsylvania
Not all drug crimes involve back-alley dealings and hard-core street narcotics. Prescription fraud is also a serious offense. Yet people all too often assume that a controlled substance crime is somehow less serious because it involves a drug with legitimate medical uses. Nevertheless, drug offenses involving prescribed pills have emerged as a growing problem to […]
The Five Types of Pennsylvania Drug Charges
Pennsylvania drug laws are tough and often carry severe penalties, including mandatory sentencing. The law recognizes a wide spectrum of drug infractions and crimes, from misdemeanors — such as being caught with a small amount of marijuana on your person — to felony drug trafficking charges. Because there are so many circumstances that can affect […]
What Are the Signs of DUID?
Since 2004, Pennsylvania has been training municipal police and state troopers as drug recognition experts (DREs). The signs that may indicate someone is driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) are not always the same signs someone driving inebriated may display. Unfortunately, most law enforcement officers do not get DRE training, and many DUID arrests […]
Marijuana — Not Legal in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania citizens took to the streets to rally for the legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana for personal use. Advocates for marijuana legalization argued that 20 states and the District of Columbia permit the use of medical marijuana, while skeptics pointed to the impossibility of keeping marijuana out of the hands of minors and the […]
Drug Paraphernalia Charges and Ways to Defeat Them
Jennifer decided to have some friends over to the house while her parents were out of town for the weekend. Unfortunately, her friends invited friends who tweeted other friends who messaged their Facebook friends — so several hundred people crashed what was supposed to be a quiet get-together. Not only was the house trashed, but […]
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 […]
