A century ago in Northeastern Pennsylvania, a routine traffic collision escalated into a groundbreaking legal proceeding that established a milestone in state automotive jurisprudence. In 1924, Anna Mame Pohola of Larksville became the first female motorist in Luzerne County, and quite possibly across the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to be placed on trial and convicted for driving an automobile while intoxicated.
The events leading to the historic courtroom battle began on the evening of October 29, 1923, in the borough of West Pittston. Pohola, who was 32 years old at the time, was operating a motor vehicle that crossed over the Water Street Bridge before colliding directly with another car on the roadway.
The collision immediately drew the attention of local authorities and bystanders, setting off a volatile confrontation at the crash site. West Pittston Police Chief Aaron Hastie arrived quickly to investigate the circumstances surrounding the wreck and assess the damage between the two vehicles involved.
According to contemporary accounts documented by the press, the interaction between the responding law enforcement officer and the driver deteriorated rapidly. Chief Hastie reported that Pohola exhibited highly disruptive behavior, becoming notably boisterous, using profanity, and verbally abusing individuals gathered at the location.
The escalating public disturbance prompted Chief Hastie to place Pohola under immediate arrest at the scene. Following the physical apprehension, the police chief noted a distinct odor of liquor emanating from her breath, forming the basis for formal legal intervention.
Pohola was initially charged with a violation of automobile laws, a designation that brought the Larksville resident into the formal county court system for prosecution. The matter took several months to reach trial, eventually arriving before the bench at the Luzerne County Courthouse in late spring of the following year.
The initial trial commenced on May 29, 1924, presided over by Judge William S. McLean. County prosecutors presented evidence concerning the roadway collision, the subsequent altercation with Chief Hastie, and the signs of intoxication observed following the West Pittston bridge crossing.
Despite the presentation of evidence and testimony, the original jury found itself unable to reach a unanimous consensus on the charges. As reported by the Wilkes-Barre Record on May 31, 1924, the jurors deliberated through the entire night without achieving a resolution, prompting Judge McLean to formally discharge the deadlocked panel.
Faced with a hung jury and an unresolved indictment, the prosecution chose not to dismiss the case. Assistant District Attorney Edmund Jones moved to keep the charges active by submitting the matter to a Luzerne County grand jury for renewed consideration later that summer.
The grand jury reviewed the case and returned a fresh indictment against Pohola on September 8, 1924. With the new indictment secured, court officials scheduled a retrial to take place just ten days later, once again placing the proceedings under the supervision of Judge McLean.
As the second trial approached, the rare nature of the prosecution attracted significant local attention and commentary from the legal community. Defense attorney Samuel S. Herring, who represented Pohola throughout the proceedings, underscored the novelty of the case to local reporters.
The Times Leader reported on September 18, 1924, that Herring expressed his belief that the proceeding marked the very first occasion in the history of Pennsylvania where a woman faced formal trial on allegations of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor.
When the retrial got underway on September 18, the newly empaneled jury moved with far greater speed than its predecessor. After hearing the arguments from both the prosecution and the defense, the jurors retired to deliberate and returned a guilty verdict against Pohola for driving while intoxicated in just one hour.
Two days after the verdict, on September 20, 1924, Judge McLean convened the court to deliver the formal sentence. According to coverage in the Evening News, the judge ordered Pohola to pay a fine of $100 and serve a three-month sentence in the county jail facility.
However, the custodial penalty was suspended through a conditional grant of leniency. Judge McLean granted Pohola parole on the explicit condition that she furnish a $100 payment directed to the Association For the Blind.
The Evening News noted that personal circumstances played a substantial role in the court's sentencing leniency. Pohola's husband, Frank Pohola, was a crippled veteran of World War I, and his condition served as a significant mitigating factor that swayed Judge McLean toward granting immediate parole rather than enforcing active incarceration.
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