New DUI Penalties in Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth gets tough on repeat offenders The new year brings tougher laws and penalties for those with multiple driving under the influence (DUI) convictions in Pennsylvania. Just before the holidays, the Commonwealth joined the majority of states across the U.S. that consider multiple DUIs as felonies and enacted legislation that increases the penalties for repeat DUI offenders and...
New Law Allows for Sealing of Criminal Convictions
Clean Slate erases past mistakes for some nonviolent misdemeanor offenders Effective in 2019, the Clean Slate Limited Access Law will allow individuals with nonviolent misdemeanor convictions to have those records sealed if they’ve stayed out of trouble for ten years and paid all fines. The law does not, however, apply to individuals charged with violent, firearm or sexual...
Choose One: Medical Marijuana or Gun Ownership
Some sick people will have to make a difficult decision: Is taking the medicine they are legally allowed to obtain under state law worth surrendering their constitutional right to keep and bear arms? You can be an alcoholic, addicted to prescription drugs or have been voluntarily committed to a mental institute and still purchase a firearm under federal law. However, if you obtain a medical...
Massachusetts Court Protects Medical Marijuana Use by Employees
A great criminal defense lawyer knows the ins and outs of the legal system, and may be able to spot certain arguments and factors that could mitigate or even negate a potential crime.
Pennsylvania Doctors Now Able to Register to Provide Medical Marijuana Prescriptions
If you are looking at prison time or a criminal penalty, it is extremely important to hire a criminal defense lawyer. The legal system is designed and biased so that representing yourself in a criminal trial and expecting a good result is almost impossible.
Colorado Court Says Alert from Drug Sniffing Dog is No Longer Enough to Search Car
In 2012, the State of Colorado made it legal, both criminally and civilly, for any person 21 years of age or older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana for personal use. A recent decision by the Colorado Court of Appeals provides further protection for marijuana users in Colorado. In The People of the State of Colorado v. McKnight, the court addressed the issue of whether or not the...
Medical Marijuana Dispensary Permits Awarded
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has announced the names of the twenty-seven medical marijuana dispensaries that were granted permits. The dispensaries will receive their product from one of the twelve businesses that were awarded medical marijuana growing permits in Pennsylvania. The dispensaries will then supply the qualified medical marijuana patients. In order to qualify for medical...
Recreational Marijuana Use in Nevada Hit a Minor Rough Patch
Nevada, whose voters approved legislation legalizing the sale of recreational marijuana starting July 1, 2017, are facing some issues as a result of a group of wholesale liquor distributors filing a lawsuit claiming they have the exclusive right to the distribution of recreational marijuana. The ballot measure for recreational marijuana provided that for the first 18 months only liquor...
SORNA Registration Held to be Unconstituional when Applied Retroactively
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania held that the retroactive application of Pennsylvania’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) violates the ex post facto clauses of both the United State Constitution and the Pennsylvania Constitution. People who were convicted of a sexual offense before SORNA became effective in December 2012 are subject to the Megan’s Law registration...