Articles

New Wiretapping Law Brings Down Montgomery County Drug Ring

Filed under: Criminal Law, Drug Crimes by Contributor @ April 10, 2013

Police arrested six individuals allegedly involved in a Montgomery County drug ring, earlier this week. The arrests were the result of “Operation Walled In”, made possible by a new Pennsylvania wiretapping law that took effect in December 2012. Under the new law, police can target a person suspected of engaging in criminal activity, rather than […]

Continue reading » Leave a comment

Supreme Court Rules Drug Dog Search Without a Warrant Unconstitutional

Filed under: Criminal Law, Drug Crimes by Contributor @ March 28, 2013

On March 26, the United States Supreme Court decided Florida v. Jardines, which raised the question of whether or not a police dog searching for the odor of drugs on a person’s porch without a warrant constitutes a violation of the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures. In a 5-4 opinion, the Court […]

Continue reading » Leave a comment

Pennsylvania sees big increase in SIP for drug cases

Filed under: Criminal Law, Drug Crimes by Contributor @ March 26, 2013

What is SIP? State Intermediate Punishment, or SIP, is a substance abuse treatment program designed for drug offenders who would otherwise be sentenced to incarceration in a state prison. The SIP program officially began in May 2005 as a state equivalent to the Restricted Intermediate Punishment (RIP) program, which has been in existence in Pennsylvania […]

Continue reading » Leave a comment

New Precedent in Pennsylvania Forfeiture Law

Filed under: Drug Crimes by Contributor @ December 25, 2012

Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court recently reversed a lower-court ruling in a case from Centre County dealing with the state’s civil asset forfeiture law. Under Pennsylvania’s forfeiture law (42 Pa. C.S. §6801), the state is allowed to seize any personal property involved in a violation of the Controlled Substance Act. After hearing a case from Centre County, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court […]

Continue reading » Leave a comment

Lansdale Man Going to Jail for Soliciting Juvenile’s Help During Drug Deal

Filed under: Drug Crimes by Contributor @ October 9, 2012

20 year-old Nyjal Scott Torres will be facing time behind bars for soliciting the help of a juvenile in drug deals in Lansdale. The investigation, headed by the Montgomery County Drug Task Force, began in September of 2010 when police received a tip that he was a marijuana dealer. Since then, the Task Force made […]

Continue reading » Leave a comment