Williamsport Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Blog

There were 16 people taken into custody at a sobriety checkpoint in York County on Nov. 23. The checkpoint took place at the business loop of Interstate 83. While the majority were taken into custody for DUI, police say that they found meth and drug packing materials in one of the vehicles. They also said that there was a stolen gun found and that one person was found with five grams of marijuana.

An individual who was taken into custody for DUI at the checkpoint was arrested again three hours after being released. The checkpoints were announced ahead of time and were also conducted in Adams and Lancaster counties. In 2017, there were 4,509 accidents during the Thanksgiving season, and 26 people lost their lives during that same time period. This was according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Pennsylvania residents may have read reports about two African Americans who were shot and killed at a Kentucky supermarket in October. Media outlets reported on Nov. 15 that the 51-year-old white man accused of being the shooter has been indicted by a federal grand jury on firearms and hate crime charges. The man entered not guilty pleas to two murder charges, one count of attempted murder and two counts of wanton endangerment on Nov. 2. The Department of Justice has yet to announce whether or not they will be seeking the death penalty.

The man is said to have entered the Kroger market in Jefferson, Ky., with the intention of killing black people. Police say that they have obtained security camera footage of the man trying to gain admittance to a church with a mostly black congregation just minutes before he allegedly opened fire in the supermarket. Investigators have been unable to identify any motive for the killings other than race, according to reports.

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration has made what is believed to be the biggest seizure of meth in western Pennsylvania history. Authorities seized approximately 122 pounds of meth and 10 pounds of cocaine. The drugs were estimated to have a street value of $2.5 million. A 33-year old man was detained in connection with the drug seizure.

DEA agents were watching for drug activity along Interstate 79 and Route 422 when they allegedly spotted suspicious activity at a travel plaza. Officers observed a man park a vehicle with West Virginia license plates near a vehicle with California license plates. The man then went to the trunk of the vehicle while the woman went inside the travel plaza. When the woman returned to the vehicle, the man left. The man then allegedly pulled out onto Interstate 79. DEA agents believed that the man's activity was consistent with drug trafficking, so they decided to continue to follow him.

Medical marijuana has been legalized in many states, including Pennsylvania. The penalties for driving under the influence remain the same. However, federal traffic safety officials have called for the government to do more to control the problem of driving while impaired by drugs.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to enact standards and give states guidance to combat the problem of drug-impaired driving. Currently, there is no standardized requirement for drug testing of drivers who are suspected to be impaired. The number of deaths from traffic accidents is increasing, and many are a result of the opioid epidemic. In 2015, 46 percent of drivers who were killed in fatal accidents tested positive for drugs. This was a 16 percent increase compared to statistics from 2006.