Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Law Blog

Man facing drunk driving charges in Pennsylvania

On behalf of Robert S. Muir, Attorney at Law posted in Drunk Driving on Thursday, June 14, 2018.

A man has reportedly refused to testify at his own trial after he was accused of causing an accident that killed a passenger riding on his ATV. Pennsylvania authorities said the man is believed to have been intoxicated at the time of the accident, which allegedly led to his causing the accident. If the man is found guilty of the myriad charges against him, including the drunk driving charge, he will face serious jail time for his purported role in the death.

According to Pennsylvania court records, the 33-year-old man is believed to have been drinking when he went riding his ATV with a 21-year-old passenger back on Christmas Eve 2016. The accident is believed to have taken place around 2:35 a.m. and caused the death of the passenger. Prosecutors say the man's blood alcohol was tested, returning a result of 0.135, well over the legal limit of 0.08. They also noted he was not licensed to operate a vehicle in the state and his license in his home state had been suspended.

Drug charges filed against Pennsylvania man

On behalf of Robert S. Muir, Attorney at Law posted in Drug Charges on Tuesday, June 5, 2018.

A man from Enola is facing serious charges after he was believed to be involved in a drug deal turned fatal back in April. Local law enforcement in the Pennsylvania community, including vice, drug task forces and street crimes units, took the man into custody on May 31. He now faces drug charges, including drug delivery resulting in death.

According to the report, the 38-year-old man is believed to have sold a quantity of drugs to another man on April 29. The details of this alleged transaction were not detailed in the report, nor were any details about the supposed victim. Sometime after the transaction is said to have taken place, the buyer administered a dosage of the drugs he allegedly purchased, leading to a drug overdose that proved fatal. The man was found dead in a vehicle in Lower Paxton Township.

Are you concerned that your child is using study drugs?

On behalf of Robert S. Muir, Attorney at Law posted in Campus Crimes on Friday, June 1, 2018.

When your child gained acceptance to the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, you could not have been prouder. You helped him or her buy school supplies, pack the necessities and likely even got a bit teary-eyed as you sent your now-grown baby into the world to live on campus. While you understood that this step was a rite of passage and would help your child as an independent person, it was still understandably difficult to let go.

Because your son or daughter always performed well in school and did his or her best to stay focused, you likely did not have much concern that the same attitude would remain present during the college years. Of course, trying to juggle classes, friendships, extracurriculars and other aspects of college life can be overwhelming, and your child may have begun to show signs of struggling.

Woman in Pennsylvania accused of drunk driving

On behalf of Robert S. Muir, Attorney at Law posted in Drunk Driving on Tuesday, May 29, 2018.

A woman Pennsylvania police say they found unresponsive behind the wheel of her car is facing serious charges. The 46-year-old has been charged with drunk driving by regional police in Central Bucks. So far, no court date has been announced in connection with her case, though she is likely consulting with criminal defense counsel in preparation for upcoming legal proceedings.

According to police on the scene, they were called to investigate a vehicle that had left the road and come to rest on the lawn of a Wells Fargo Bank branch on May 21. Officers say they found the vehicle locked with the engine idling, and the driver unresponsive behind the wheel. Officers entered the vehicle as medical assistance arrived, and the woman then regained consciousness.

Pennsylvania man facing drunk driving charges

On behalf of Robert S. Muir, Attorney at Law posted in Drunk Driving on Thursday, May 24, 2018.

A man in Hanover Township was apparently involved in a serious car accident that directly endangered the lives of two preteen children, according to authorities. Pennsylvania police arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of drunk driving after the two car collision. He has since been released on $20,000 unsecured bail, and he is set to appear in court again on June 7.

According to the police report, the man was transporting two children, aged 12 and 5, on the night of Dec. 27, 2017. He was headed north on Route 309 when he attempted to negotiate a westbound turn. His actions apparently put his vehicle in front of a southbound vehicle, which he struck head-on. The force of the impact deployed air bags in both vehicles, and two occupants of the other car were taken to local hospitals with unknown injuries. The condition of the 31-year-old driver and the two children was not commented upon.

Man suspected of drunk driving arrested

On behalf of Robert S. Muir, Attorney at Law posted in Drunk Driving on Monday, May 14, 2018.

A Canadian man is under arrest following a serious car accident police believe was predicated on intoxication. The 48-year-old Toronto man was arrested by Pennsylvania authorities and now faces charges, including homicide by vehicle while drunk driving and aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI as well. He was arraigned on May 8, and the investigation into the incident is still in progress.

According to the accident report, the man told officers he had two beers and a double shot of whiskey before leaving a local bar on the evening of April 28. Around 6:45 p.m. he was traveling northbound in his pickup truck when he struck a guard rail. This caused him to cross back into the northbound lanes and strike a ride-share vehicle operated by Lyft. A male passenger in the Lyft, 57, was rushed to a local hospital with critical injuries and was pronounced dead the following day.

Trucker in Pennsylvania charged with drunk driving

On behalf of Robert S. Muir, Attorney at Law posted in Drunk Driving on Thursday, May 10, 2018.

A truck driver originally from Texas is facing serious charges following a crash in Bentleyville, according to local sources. Pennsylvania authorities have reported the man reportedly smashed through a McDonald's drive thru. He has been accused of drunk driving and is now being held in Washington County against a $25,000 bond.

According to the limited information released to the public at this time, it appears that around 2 a.m. the morning of May 2, the driver attempted to enter the drive thru lane of a McDonald's restaurant. Police say in his attempt, the man crashed into the drive thru station as well as a mailbox, a sign, a utility pole and a gas line. There is no word as to whether anyone was injured, including the driver himself.

Sober people don't fail field sobriety tests. Right? Wrong

On behalf of Robert S. Muir, Attorney at Law on Sunday, May 6, 2018.

Most people have seen funny videos of police conducting roadside field sobriety tests on individuals who are obviously drunk. Perhaps you have seen more than your fair share of these videos as well. You watch people fall over backwards when attempting to touch their fingers to their noses or trip over themselves as they attempt to walk a straight line.

Maybe you've even seen someone hopping on one foot as you pass by flashing lights on the side of the roadway. All of these images give the impression that you would only fail a field sobriety test if impaired. For this reason, you may find it difficult to believe that even sober people fail these tests. How can that be?

The breath test said I was drunk. So, that's it, right?

On behalf of Robert S. Muir, Attorney at Law on Friday, May 4, 2018.

You knew that when you obtained your Pennsylvania driver's license, you agreed to submit to a breath test if a police officer requested it. When an officer pulled you over on suspicion of drunk driving, you knew that refusing to take the test would come with consequences.

You never expected that the test would say your blood alcohol concentration was .08 or higher. Perhaps you had a couple of drinks with some friends on your way home from work, but you never thought you were legally drunk. The breath test provides you and the officer with evidence of your impairment, and the officer places you under arrest. That's the end of the story. Right?

Woman charged with drunk driving following death of son

On behalf of Robert S. Muir, Attorney at Law posted in Drunk Driving on Wednesday, May 2, 2018.

A 37-year-old woman is facing a nightmare after being accused of inadvertently killing her child in a car accident. The woman has been accused of drunk driving at the time of the crash which caused the death of her 8-year-old son. In addition to the DUI charge, she is also facing homicide by vehicle charges, and will be appearing in a Pennsylvania court soon.

According to authorities on the scene, the woman left a party around 9:30 p.m. on April 7 with her child in the back seat before crashing her vehicle head-on into another car. The woman said the last thing she remembers is having a conversation on her hands-free phone, and then being pulled from the wreckage by first responders. The child was found unconscious and suffering head and neck trauma. He was rushed to a local hospital by helicopter and succumbed to his injuries three days later.