Last month the Superior Court of Pennsylvania rejected a challenge to the charge known as "drug delivery resulting in death," which means that the state will not have to prove that a defendant intended for a victim to die as a result of drugs the defendant administered to the deceased. The Pennsylvania legislature revised the charge in 2011; previously the charge was considered a type of third-degree murder, which would require proof of intent to murder (albeit not premeditation) for conviction. With the current wording of the charge, the state only has to prove that the defendant acted recklessly - not that he or she intended to cause death - in order to secure a conviction.
Holidays are a Peak Time for DUI
The holidays are a time of celebration and a time to catch up with family and friends. Unfortunately, the holidays are also peak DUI season. The combination of travel, friends and family and celebration-- which often also involves alcohol-- means that the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's is the time when people are most likely to get a DUI. It's also a time when the risk of DUI-related fatalities is higher than normal.
