Category Archives: Drug Crimes
Pa. Three Strikes Law Imposes Harsh Sentences on Repeat Violent Offenders
The Three Strikes Law is a significant feature of Pennsylvania’s criminal justice system. It mandates severe prison terms for repeat offenders convicted of specific violent crimes. This law aims to deter recidivism and promote public safety by providing for long periods of incarceration of individuals demonstrating a pattern of violent behavior. However, there are defensive… Read More »
Understanding Forfeiture of Property in Federal Criminal Cases
Forfeiture — also known as seizure of assets — is a powerful tool employed by federal law enforcement to divest from criminals the financial gains from their wrongdoings. Forfeiture allows the government to permanently seize property demonstrably linked to criminal activity. This serves a dual purpose. By taking away the proceeds of crime, authorities aim… Read More »
Legal Strategies for Defense Against Federal Drug Charges
Federal drug crime convictions can have severe and lasting consequences that include long prison sentences, hefty fines and loss of civil privileges. The most commonly prosecuted federal drug crimes are related to the manufacture, distribution, importation and exportation of controlled substances. Attempts and conspiracies to commit those actions are also illegal. Penalties for federal drug… Read More »
Drug Delivery Resulting in Death Is a Homicide in Pennsylvania
The recent sentencing of a Monroe County man to 20 years in prison shows the wide sweep of a Pennsylvania law making it a homicide to distribute an illegal drug that causes the death of a recipient user. The Drug Delivery Resulting in Death (DDRD) law, enacted in 2008, provides that intentionally delivering, administering, prescribing… Read More »
An Overview of Possession of a Controlled Substance in Pennsylvania
Every state in the nation has strict regulations on controlled dangerous substances (CDS). The state of Pennsylvania includes drugs like heroin, cocaine and marijuana, along with the various chemical compounds used to create them, on this list. Pennsylvania divides CDS into five different “schedules.” Schedule I includes the most dangerous drugs, those with no recognized… Read More »
What Does Pennsylvania Law Say About Possession and Distribution of Marijuana?
There are both state and federal laws regulating the possession, sale and manufacture of marijuana. It is currently a Schedule I drug in Pennsylvania, and thus the law considers it to have a high potential for abuse and no recognized medical value. Below is a general overview of how the law treats certain marijuana-related crimes… Read More »
Ephrata Dad Allegedly Admits Supplying Heroin to Teen Daughter
The father of a 16-year-old Ephrata, PA girl who overdosed on heroin has admitted to buying the drug and giving it to his daughter, according to the police complaint. Kerry Lynn Long, 35, also of Ephrata, was charged with aggravated assault, corruption of a minor, endangering the welfare of a child, and possession with intent… Read More »
Drug Crimes in New Jersey and Pennsylvania: What is Drug Possession?
Pennsylvania drug possession penalties Under the Pennsylvania drug possession statute, the penalties for marijuana possession include a misdemeanor charge, a $500 fine and 30 days in jail for 30g or less. For 30g or more, the charge is still a misdemeanor, but you could face a year in prison and a $5,000 fine. The penalties… Read More »
Federal Mandatory Minimum Penalties Under Reform
When he was 26 years old, Douglas Ray Dunkins, Jr. received a mandatory sentence of life without parole for his role in a Texas crack cocaine operation. If that operation had involved cocaine powder, the mandatory minimum sentence would have been 20 years and he would now be free. While the decades-long U.S. “War on… Read More »
Legalized Recreational Marijuana Breaks Federal Law
On January 1, 2014, Colorado became the first state to open recreational pot stores after 55 percent of the state voted to legalize recreational marijuana use. Now, 20 states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing marijuana in some form. Yet every time someone uses the drug legally in one of these states, the… Read More »