Man accused of trying to sell drugs in traffic court
Recent Cases
Authorities say a Pennsylvania man tried to sell drugs in a Pittsburgh traffic court.
Officials say 35-year-old Christopher Durkin spoke to a man in court after he appeared Monday to face charges of driving under suspension. A deputy told Durkin to leave.
The other man told deputies Durkin attempted to sell him Suboxone pills.
Deputies searched Durkin and he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver.
He is awaiting arraignment and it's not known if he has a lawyer.
Related listings
-
High court to hear arguments in Va. redistricting case
Recent Cases 01/31/2016The U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear arguments in the case over Virginia's congressional map. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that arguments before the high court have been set for March 21. The court has agreed to take up an appeal by Republica...
-
Texas renews bid for court-imposed refugee restrictions
Recent Cases 01/25/2016Texas is doubling down on its push for court-imposed restrictions on the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state. In a court filing in Dallas on Tuesday before U.S. District Judge David Godbey, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton cited a recent fe...
-
High court raises doubts over Puerto Rico sovereignty
Recent Cases 01/14/2016The Supreme Court on Wednesday raised doubts about whether Puerto Rico should be treated as a sovereign state with powers that go beyond its status as a territory of the United States. The justices considered the question during arguments in a...
Texas Adopts Statewide Texting-While-Driving Ban
Effective September 1, 2017, Texas will become the 47th state to pass a statewide ban on texting while driving. Governor Abbott’s signing of House Bill 62 is an effort to unify Texas under a uniform ban and remedy the “patchwork quilt of regulations that dictate driving practices in Texas.”
The bill specifically prohibits drivers from reading, writing, or sending an electronic message on a device unless the vehicle is stopped. That includes texting and emailing. It does not, however, prohibit dialing a number to call someone, talking on the phone using a hands-free device, or using the phone’s GPS system.
Violations would be punishable by a fine ranging from $25 to $99, to be set by each municipality. Although penalties could rise to as much as $200 for repeat offenders.
Studies have found that a driver’s reaction time is half as much when a driver is distracted by sending or reading a text message. According to state officials, in 2015 more than 105,000 traffic accidents in Texas involved distracted driving, leading to at least 476 fatalities.