According to a recent survey conducted by AAA, fewer motorists in New Jersey today consider drunk driving to be a ‘very serious’ safety problem. The same survey conducted four years ago showed a different result. A total of 1,000 random motorists from around the state were participants of the survey which was conducted in November. The survey asked respondents to rank the problem of DWI. They were given 4 options to choose from: “very serious” “somewhat serious” “not very serious” and “not serious at all” In 2009, a total of 87 percent of the participants answered “very serious,” compared to…Read More
According to the Pennsylvania defense lawyers, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s refusal to accept an appeal of the Superior Court’s ruling that the accuracy of alcohol breath tests in highest-rate driving under the influence cases must be determined at trial, has taken much of the steam out of what once seemed as it can be a game-changer for DUI law. A DUI lawyer with Wagner & Spreha in Harrisburg, Pa, Edward F. Spreha Jr., who was not involved in the case, said that Commonwealth v. Schildt, which had the potential to impact large number of pending driving under the influence cases…Read More
Barry M. Searfoss Jr., a former state trooper, has been sentenced for a fatal crash that took place in Upper Dublin in 2012 that resulted in the death of a woman. According to reports, the ex-lawman pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol on Tuesday in a Montgomery County Court. The two-vehicle collision took place on a section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Upper Dublin which resulted in the death of 21-year-old Robin Williams of Philadelphia. News Source: www.TheIntell.comRead More
In an attempt to fulfill the requirements of individuals, authors of changes to Pennsylvania’s penalties for 1st time DUI offenders made no one happy. Only repeat DUI offenders are required to install an ignition interlock in their vehicles which require individuals to give a breath sample after which the device allows the engine of the vehicle to start. Proposed changes in the law will increase interlock requirement for almost every individual but not in the way the state legislative affairs manager for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Frank Harris, would like. He wants to see those individuals convicted of drunken driving…Read More
This rule was adopted in 2013 to address the issues raised by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, 557 U.S. 305 (2009), that held that the 6th amendment confrontation right precluded presentation of laboratory reports without a live witness testifying in the trial. In Melendez-Diaz, the U.S. Supreme Court noted with approval the use of ”notice and demand” procedures as a means of permitting routine laboratory reports to be admitted without the expense of supporting the admission by live expert testimony while protecting a defendant’s confrontation rights. This rule provides a ”notice and demand” procedure for Pennsylvania.…Read More
This week, a hearing on legislation that will expand the installation of ignition interlocks in drunken driving cases will be held in Harrisburg. The legislation was proposed by a Chester County’s state senator. The state Senate Transportation Committee will hold the hearing on Rafferty’s legislation, SB 1036, which will make the installation of ignition interlock mandatory in the vehicles of individuals convicted of DUI. Sen. John Rafferty who is the head of the state Senate Transportation Committee is forcing the residents to contact their representatives in Harrisburg for supporting the legislation. Last week, MADD President Jan Withers said, “Currently, Pennsylvania…Read More
A warning has been given to all individuals not to drink and drive in the next couple of weeks because there is a nationwide crackdown on impaired driving and local police will be looking for drivers driving under the influence on the roads. The annual holiday crackdown on impaired driving was started earlier this week by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Governors Highway Safety Association, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland along with representatives from law enforcement. In a statement, Foxx said, “With the help of our law enforcement partners, we’re sending a…Read More
Avondale, AZ – A sobriety checkpoint conducted Friday night on Route 41 between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. resulted in the arrest of six people on suspicion of driving under the influence. The checkpoint was conducted by members of the Parkesburg Police Department and the Chester County DUI Task Force. Apart from the DUI arrests, three other people were charged with drug offenses at the checkpoint. During the checkpoint, police contacted a total of 887 drivers. One of these drivers was arrested for having an open alcoholic beverage in the vehicle. According to the police, other motorists were arrested for driving…Read More
According to a Medical Daily report, 2 studies conducted recently showed that getting behind the wheel with a hangover can be as dangerous as driving under the influence. Researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands and from the University of the West of England in the U.K. passed the study participants through a series of driving tests that mimicked highway driving in one study. The night prior to the tests, all participants had consumed an average of ten drinks. There was no alcohol present in the system of any participant but they were observed driving erratically and they were also…Read More
TRENTON – State Sen. Richard Codey is looking to expand the current state law to ban drivers from talking and texting on their cell phones while at a spotlight. This law will also apply to those drivers who are temporarily stuck in a traffic jam, at a red light or any other stop sign. The bill was proposed to the legislation last week. According to Codey, under the current driving law, if you are drunk and at a red light, you will get a DUI. The new bill will also require the written driver’s license test to include questions on distracted…Read More