Articles

The United States Supreme Court recently addressed the issue of warrantless blood draws in what they describe as a narrow line of drunk driving cases: when the driver is unconscious and therefore cannot be given a breath test. The Court held in Mitchell v. Wisconsin the exigent circumstances doctrine almost always allows a warrantless blood […]

Governor Tom Wolf signed several crime bills into law with the 2019-2020 budget. House Bill 315 criminalizes female genital mutilation, making it a first-degree felony. The new law also adds that custom and consent are not defenses to this crime. House Bill 502 amends the Crime Victims Act. The Act now allows the victim to […]

With the passage of House Bill 542, you can now legally purchase and use certain fireworks in Pennsylvania. Residents are allowed to purchase Class C fireworks. These are also known as consumer grade fireworks. According to the Pennsylvania State Police, consumer grade fireworks include firecrackers, Roman candles, bottle rockets, and similar fireworks that contain a […]

The Pennsylvania Senate passed Senate Bill 607 on Tuesday, which would allow local municipal police to use radar to detect drivers’ speed. Pennsylvania is currently the only state that does not allow this procedure already. Right now only state police are allowed to use radar to clock your speed. According to the bill, police officers […]

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has decided that possession of a concealed firearm in public does not give police reasonable suspicion to stop and frisk the person. This ruling overrules a superior court decision from 1991, and has broad implications for concealed carry license holders and anyone who has been stopped by police based upon having […]