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A grocery store manager from Camden was recently charged with fraud in connection with a food stamp scheme that reportedly was worth $1 million.
The Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP) gives authorized recipients a benefits card (instead of food stamps) that can be used to purchase food at selected stores. Transactions are conducted through a special terminal that tracks the amount of benefits remaining on the card.
Witnesses are often indespensible when it comes to prosecuting drug crime cases in Pennsylvania. They provide direct and genuine testimony that helps prosecutors. Ultimately, they are needed to get dangerous people off the street.
For these reasons, Senator Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania) is proposing a bill that would make witness intimidation or harassment a federal crime. While witness intimidation is already a crime in Pennsylvania, Senator Casey's legislation would focus on prosecuting people who cross state lines to contact witnesses.
April in Pennsylvania is prom season. The annual event where teens enjoy an evening of glamour and fun. Unfortunately, prom season could be deadly, as more teens are on the road later in the evening, with some doing so after drinking alcohol.
According to a U.S. Census Bureau report, one in four teen drivers admitted to driving while under the influence of alcohol. Even more troubling, many believe that alcohol does not impair their ability to drive. Overall, the report suggests that of the 13 million teen-aged drivers across the country, 23 percent have been behind the wheel while drunk or impaired by marijuana or other drugs.
The notion that movie stars get preferential treatment from law enforcement may have been debunked last night. Actress Reese Witherspoon was arrested for disorderly conduct in conjunction with a traffic stop that left her husband (Jim Toth) arrested for drunk driving.
According to a number of news reports, Toth was stopped by Atlanta police after driving in the wrong lane. Once her husband was arrested, Witherspoon reportedly became upset and exited the couple's car in an attempt to persuade the officer to stop the arrest. The officer allegedly told Witherspoon to get back in the car, to which she reportedly responded "Do you know my name?" "You're about to find out who I am!"
She was arrested for disorderly conduct.
While the Memorial Day holiday is weeks away, law enforcement agencies across Pennsylvania are gearing up for increased drunk driving patrols. The goal is the same as in years past: keep as many drunk drivers off the road as possible. This means making arrests and obtaining information to support criminal charges (usually through blood, urine or breath tests). However, some drivers may refuse these tests in an attempt to avoid criminal charges.
To combat this practice, some law enforcement agencies now incorporate "no refusal" strategies in order to quickly get a search warrant that will enable police to take blood samples which will contain evidence to prosecute a drunk driver. This may entail having a judge onsite (at a sobriety checkpoint, for example) to approve warrants.
YouTube has spawned a new generation (and new styles) of pranks. Many across Pennsylvania have seen stories about "flashrobs", a take on the term "flash mob" where a large group of people run into a store for a mass-shoplifting prank. The teens then post the act on YouTube for their friends to see.
Another prank called "gallon smashing" has also caught on. Essentially, pranksters will walk into a store, grab large containers and pretend to lose their balance and fall, only to smash the glass containers on the storeroom floor.
Miranda warnings are a critical aspect of the criminal process. Based on the landmark Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona, the warning is essentially a reminder that law enforcement is authorized to use statements and information provided by the accused against him or her in court. It is also a warning that the accused has no obligation to answer questions against their will, and that they have a constitutional right to remain silent (so that they do not incriminate themselves) if they are in custody.
A number of drug possession arrests stem from the use of drug sniffing dogs. They are used in airports, seaports, and occasionally brought in to search vehicles. Wherever the search is conducted, police must have probable cause in order to use drug sniffing dogs.
The question of whether such cause exists (before a search is conducted) has garnered considerable debate. The U.S. Supreme Court recently decided a case (Florida v. Jardines) where a dog was used to inspect the front porch of a home. When the dog "alerted" to the scent of marijuana, police officers believed they had obtained probable cause to search the home. When they did, they found that the home housed an illegal growing facility.
It is ironic when police officers are arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. After all, they are charged with enforcing the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, so the expectation is that they would follow the laws that are put in force. For a police officer from the City of Philadelphia, this promise was allegedly broken.
The officer was arrested and charged with DUI after being involved in an accident. Few details have been released regarding the cause of the crash or whether other people were injured. However, a WPVI.com report indicates that the officer (who has been with the police department for 23 years) was off-duty when the accident occurred.
Texting while driving in Pennsylvania is against the law. Drivers caught sending (or reading) messages while behind the wheel are subject to a $50 fine. Subsequent violations will result in higher fines. The impetus behind the law was to make roads safer, as distracted driving accidents (crashes where one or both drivers were focused on a mobile device) have become so severe that they spawned a national campaign against texting while driving.
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Trial Attorney, Robert T. Szostak, Esquire, of Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg and Gifford, P.C., served as faculty for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute Medical Malpractice Update Seminar presented on March 21, 2013 in Philadelphia. Read more...
