Articles Posted in Blog Articles

Is everyone ready for the upcoming long Memorial Day weekend? Because, let me tell you: while you’ve gone shopping for your burgers, dogs, and chips (and made sure that the cooler is stocked with everyone’s favorite pop, beer, and wine coolers), the police have also been preparing. But what they have in mind is definitely…

In today’s world, we hear terms like “slut shaming” and “fat-shaming” – but have you heard about so-called “plate shaming?” No? Well, this Morgantown criminal defense has. Here’s the skinny: At least one West Virginia news channel asked whether the Mountain State should take a cue from our Ohio neighbors, where second-time DUI offenders and those who…

Maybe it’s just because I’m a criminal defense lawyer, but I hear a lot of the same argument when it comes to marijuana: “But it comes from the earth!” or “But it’s just weed!” True enough: Marijuana is indeed a plant that can be cultivated wherever there is a little patch of green outside or…

As a Morgantown criminal defense attorney who routinely represents folks accused of DUI, I’ve been following news of House Bill 2664, which is known more commonly as “Andrea and Willy’s Law” – which was signed into law this week by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. For those who aren’t familiar, the bill, which increases some penalties…

In West Virginia, driving under the influence of alcohol or any other kind of drug is considered to be a serious offense and treated with the same importance. When someone drives under any intoxicating influence, he is not only putting his own life at risk but also risking the lives of people around him. Alcohol…

This Morgantown criminal defense lawyer who spends a great deal of time on DUI defense wants to personally congratulate West Virginia University’s student newspaper’s editorial board for its recent piece regarding the dangers of drinking and driving. Titled, “Drunk Driving is Never an Option,” the editorial board tells its peers how it is: No matter…

Let me ask you a question: When you were 21, were you ever the Of Age Friend who did the beer runs for those underage members of your group of acquaintances? Or maybe you had an Of Age Friend when you were a 20-year-old college senior looking for some peach schnapps for a cocktail or…

The number of fatal car crashes in West Virginia are down, and authorities there are attributing the waning statistics to targeting enforcement (think DUI checkpoints, seat belt enforcement, child restraint enforcement, and the like). There were 271 fatalities in 240 car crashes last year, which is way down from 2013, when law enforcement officials reported…

A story broke moments ago that shed even more light on the November death of a West Virginia University student who died at a fraternity house following a night of drinking. The student, Nolan Burch, was discovered to have had a .493 percent blood-alcohol content, which is shockingly high. The legal limit in West Virginia…

It happens in the legal system all the time (trust me, I’m a Morgantown criminal defense lawyer): Charges look good on paper, but not so much when one considers the totality of evidence and circumstance. That’s part of what criminal defense lawyers like me do: We negotiate with prosecutors to make sure that everything that should be…