Williamsport Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Law Blog

For years now, public health officials, lawmakers and police have struggled with what they call an opioid crisis. As highly addictive prescription opioid drugs hit the market, they spurred a market for illegal drugs with similar chemistry and effects. Some of these drugs are very powerful, and it is easy for users to accidentally overdose, especially when they don't know exactly what they are taking. One result has been a sharp increase in drug-related deaths in Pennsylvania and many other states.

One way Pennsylvania has dealt with the problem is through prosecuting homicide charges against people who supply the drugs in fatal overdoses. These charges are sometime called "drug delivery resulting in death" or "drug-induced homicide." Pennsylvania reportedly prosecutes these cases more than any other state. Prosecutors say these charges will deter people from abusing drugs, or at least spur dealers to be more careful about the drugs they sell.

The death penalty is not common in Pennsylvania, nor do Pennsylvania residents want it to be. One poll of Pennsylvanians in 2015 found that 54% support a life sentence, not capital punishment, as the preferred penalty for murder. The state has not carried out an execution since 1999.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, a group opposed to capital punishment, Pennsylvania courts have imposed death sentences, on average, a little less than twice a year over the past five years. This represents a significant drop from where the numbers were not all that long ago. Statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections show that the average was nearly 16 death sentences per year in 1989-1993.

Before long, the school year will end, and your family may begin focusing on the matriculation process at the college or university of your child's choice. Like many parents, you want the best for your child, and you may have done whatever you could to give your child the best chances of gaining admission to a prestigious institution of higher learning. Perhaps you helped your child with the essay portion of the admission process, hired a tutor for the SATs or maybe pulled a few strings at your alma mater.

You may have watched with interest as the new stories unfolded related to the college admissions scandals across the country. Dozens of parents now face criminal charges because they wanted to give their own children certain advantages in the college admission process. Unfortunately, the federal government is not finished prosecuting those it suspects participated in criminal activity to get their children into elite colleges across the country.

Pennsylvania may be closer than ever to legalizing recreational marijuana, with two bills in the state Senate that would do just that if enacted. With medical marijuana already legal in the state since 2016 and 59 percent of Pennsylvanians in favor of full legalization, this is an interesting time for people seeking to end the practice of incarcerating individuals for possessing marijuana.

It is not clear if legalization will happen this year, but there is support for it at the top. Gov. Tom Wolf has promised to seriously consider signing a bill to legalize marijuana if one should reach his desk. And Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has been less ambiguous about his support for decriminalizing marijuana use in Pennsylvania. He is current engaged in a listening tour of the state to gauge the public’s view on the issue.