There are usually a rash of crimes committed by costumed defendants at the end of October, but a 21 year old Pitt student go into the Halloween spirit early. Jonathan Hewson is accused of trying to rob a convenience store near his apartment in Pittsburgh's Oakland...
State College Criminal Law Blog
Domestic Violence-Related Assault Charges Arise Following Threesome
Everyone has heard of a "drug deal gone bad," but few have heard of a "threesome gone bad." Then again, when two of the threesome participants are cousins, you could say that it never had a chance of "going well." Assault charges have been filed against a Myrtle Beech...
Pennsylvania DUI Suspect Detained By McDonald’s Employees
Underpaid McDonald's workers seeking a living-wage have a stronger argument, at least in Halifax, Pennsylvania, where McDonald's employees recently made a "citizens arrest" of an intoxicated man who had driven to the fast food joint with his minor child in tow. In...
Can Penn State Curtail Alcohol Offenses by Serving Beer at Beaver Stadium?
On its face, it would appear that serving beer inside Beaver Stadium during Penn State football games would be throwing gasoline onto a fire. How could granting access to even more alcohol than the countless gallons of booze already guzzled in the Beaver Stadium...
Possible Assault Charges for Enraged Pennsylvania Prep Quarterback
A Pennsylvania high school football player with aspirations of winning a D-1 scholarship faces possible criminal charges after an on-field incident on September 6, 2013, in which Hamburg High School quarterback Joey Cominsky ripped the helmet off the head of an...
Retail Theft Does Not Always Involve Removal of Items from Store
The classic retail theft scenario involves hiding items, and then walking right out the front door of a store without paying for them. Yet not all retail thefts follow this pattern. Under Pennsylvania law, one form or retail theft involves consuming or tampering with...
Underage Drinking Charges Common at Penn State Tailgates
After the Nittany Lions' opening game victory over old Eastern Independent rival Syracuse, we Penn Staters are optimistic about the season as we head into our first home game, Mark Emmert and his evil junta be damned. Unfortunately, not every Penn Stater is going to...
What is “Criminal Mischief” in Pennsylvania?
Criminal Mischief is one of the more common crimes charged in Pennsylvania, yet the average person does not know exactly what it is. Unlike most offenses under the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, its name it not self-explanatory. It sounds like generalized badassery engaged...
Marijuana Smoking on Penn State’s Campus No Longer Safe
It might be hard for current Penn State students to believe this, but there was once a time when you could smoke marijuana in the dorms and around campus and no one really cared. Those days are over. Of course, the irony is that marijuana is far more mainstream and...
Prostitute Is Scam Victim, But Ends Up In Jail
Anyone who has been a criminal defense lawyer long enough has had his share of prostitution cases, especially if any part of his career was spent as a public defender. One common thread I have observed with prostitution defendants is that they tend to be magnets for...

