Blog, DUI, Mandatory Sentence
In Pennsylvania, Driving Under the Influence can be charged as low as an ungraded misdemeanor or as high as a felony. When a DUI can be charged as a felony under Pennsylvania Law If you are convicted of DUI and have more than three prior DUI offensesIf you are...
Blog, DUI, Interlock Devices
Getting to work, buying groceries, and getting your kids to and from school is almost impossible in most areas in Western Pennsylvania if you don’t have a valid driver’s license. While ridesharing apps can help, they become expensive and...
Blog, Case Law Summaries, Constitutional Rights, DUI, Legal Briefs, Mandatory Sentence
Topic: DUI – Refusal of Chemical Testing – Birchfield – Mandatory Sentence – Alleyne Summary: The mandatory minimum sentence given by the Venango County Court of Common Pleas for a DUI chemical test refusal was unconstitutional. 1.) Defendants cannot be given a...
Blog, Blog Posts, DUI, New Laws, sentencing, Sentencing and Punishments
On October 20th, 2014, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed a law changing the way courts handle prior drunk driving (DUI) convictions at sentencing. In Pennsylvania, you face harsher punishments if you have prior DUI convictions. Before the change, prior DUI...
Alcohol Laws, Blog Posts, DUI, In the News, Laws of Questionable Merit
The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that the limit for blood alcohol levels for drivers be lowered to 0.05. The NTSB has also recommended that measures be taken to encourage broader use of interlock devices. Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the...
Case Law Summaries, DUI, sentencing
Commonwealth v. Patrick A. Haag, Sr J-41-2009 (10/23/2009) Topic: DUI – Prior Offenses Summary: For a DUI offense to be a second or subsequent conviction for sentencing purposes, the offender must be convicted of the prior offense before committing the second...
