HARRISBURG, Pa. – Lawmakers in Pennsylvania are close to enacting legislation that would require ignition interlock systems for people convicted of DUI for the first-time. John Rafferty, chairman of the state Senate Transportation Committee, has been pushing for the legislation for four years. He is very hopeful that the legislation will be passed in the coming session which will require installation of ignition interlock devices for first-time DUI offenders. Under the current law, repeat DUI offenders are already required to install an ignition interlock device, but the proposed bill would mandate installation of Ignition Interlock Devices for first time offenders with…Read More
54-year-old Nicholas Chaban was more than twice the legal limit of alcohol with a side of cocaine when he got a DUI citation in December 2013. He was cited 3 more times by September. On Friday, Former chief financial officer for the Philadelphia health-care provider Mazzoni Center, Chaban pleaded guilty to all 4 DUIs, as well as trespassing and drug-possession charges that came in the month of May after he was bounced from a Conshohocken bar. According to Montgomery County Court Judge, Cheryl Austin, “I’ve got five files in front of me. That’s a record”. He is still not going…Read More
On Thursday, 3 Washington Township police officers took the stand in trial of fellow officer Joseph DiBuonaventura, providing a range of testimony about the phone call that resulted in events leading up to the arrest of Assemblyman Paul Moriarty in the year 2012. After a morning full of testimony from Sgt. Martin Calvello which paid attention to the call his cousin Ernie made to him the afternoon of 31st of July, relaying a concern about Moriarty’s attitude at the Nissan dealership where he worked. Det. Lisa Frattali, who heard them talking took the stand and said why she mentioned it…Read More
A drunk driver taken into custody by Philadelphia Police officers on Friday afternoon in Northeast Philly on the suspicion of drunk driving died hours later his arrest. According to the authorities, the 29-year-old suspect was brought to a detention center in Center City at around 3:45 p.m. at 750 Race St. He was put in a cell at the detention center while he waited for a breathalyzer test. When the police officers went to check on him at around 10:15 p.m. they found him unresponsive. This was more than six hours of arriving at the detention center. Police officers checked…Read More
As medical marijuana is legal in almost half the states and as a small number of Americans are saying that they are in favor of recreational availability as well, the tensed medical researchers are making efforts to project the potential impact on public health problems ranging from addiction to cognition to traffic accident fatalities. To answer the question that could easier access to marijuana decrease deadly car accidents is that according to a new study, traffic deaths in nine states, in which New Jersey is also included, is that high rates of toxicology testing is admittedly hazy. In the journal…Read More
Last summer, Christopher Gish was taken into custody 3 times in the time period of 11 days and was charged with DUI in Dickson County. His driving privileges could have been taken after his 2nd offense but he remained free until the third offense because of some reasons, in which the communication gap between the Borough cops and circumstances of Lackawanna County’s method of prosecuting the DUI drivers were included. Last week, he was sentenced to 6 months of house arrest by Lackawanna County Judge, Michael Barrasse, for a 3rd time DUI offense. In the month of October after pleading…Read More
54-years-old Alexandria Cogan of Elkins Park was charged on Monday for causing an alleged DUI accident that resulted in her husband’s death. The incident took place in Lower Moreland on 19 August on Huntingdon Pike near Spur Road when Cogan was driving a Mazda Miata convertible. She had the top of the vehicle down when it crossed over the yellow lines and slammed into a Toyota Camry. Police reports confirm that Cogan was driving at a speed of 63 m.p.h in a 45 m.p.h zone when the incident happened. As a result of the collision, the Mazda flipped over. Cogan’s…Read More
24-year-old Nichole Labelle of Secane is awaiting trial for killing a young man while she was driving intoxicated in Philadelphia. The incident took place two years ago in Upper Darby when Labelle was arrested one Tuesday night after she crashed her car. According to police, she had used prescription pills and was high on heroin at the time. According to the police reports, Secane crashed her vehicle into an unoccupied car at about 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday. The incident took place on Westbrook Drive near Alverstone Road. Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood gave details of the incident saying that…Read More
58-year-old Joe Gallagher, a longtime football coach at Haverford High School in Delaware County, is going to need a good defensive coordinator after his recent DUI charge. Gallagher was arrested on the suspicion of drunk driving after he allegedly fled the scene of a crash that took place in Prospect Park on Saturday. According to the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, he is also facing charges of reckless driving apart from the DUI charge. Police reports confirm that Gallagher allegedly drove into another vehicle about 4 p.m. when he was at an intersection. After the crash, he fled the scene.…Read More
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 1239 to close a loophole which allowed some repeat drunk drivers to escape harsher penalties and drive on the roads. After the passing of the bill, prosecutors will now be able to charge DUI suspects with harsher penalties if they are repeat offenders and have been arrested again for subsequent DUIs. The will now face stricter penalties that come with repeat violations. An incident lead to the introduction of the bill when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled a driver who had been arrested twice for DUI in the same night. However, the…Read More