Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Reform Movement
Policy makers and civil rights leaders have been advocating for a reform of the criminal justice system for decades. In the wake of several horrific videos across the nation showing police officers killing unarmed suspects—most of whom were minorities—the need…
Criminal Restitution Civil Judgment in Pennsylvania
Did you know that if you’ve been convicted of a crime, you might have to compensate the victim for the financial losses resulting from your conduct? In Pennsylvania, you may face a criminal restitution civil judgment in addition to paying…
The Use of Police Scanners Is Legal in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania
There are no regulations pertaining to the use of police scanners in either Pennsylvania or in Pittsburgh, so they’re effectively legal. In the past, people who wanted to listen to police and emergency service radio transmissions needed to purchase and…
Moratorium on the Death Penalty in Pennsylvania
The debate over the death penalty in Pennsylvania continues to grow after the House’s divided vote on a resolution coming out against Governor Tom Wolf’s moratorium on the death penalty in the state. While the House ultimately voted to issue…
Forensics in Criminal Justice Flawed
A massive review by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Innocence Project has revealed that nearly every examiner in an FBI hair forensic unit gave flawed testimony in hundreds of cases leading to convictions. The results have…
Field Sobriety Tests
Few things are more dangerous than drinking and driving. Drunk drivers are seven times more likely to get into an accident with a fatality and over 10 times more likely to crash in general. While this is a good reason…
Arrested for Resisting Arrest
Resisting arrest is a criminal offense that is sometimes called obstruction. It describes a number of things that interfere with a police officer attempting to make a lawful arrest. Resisting arrest may involve fleeing from a police officer while being…
Don’t Resist Law Enforcement – Protect Yourself, Let Us Fight for Your Rights
It has become all too clear in the past year that we have a problem with the way that law enforcement sometimes interacts with citizens. Here in Pittsburgh, problems may not have gotten to the point that it has in…
What Contributes to a Mistrial? … and What Does It Mean for My Case?
While most of us have heard the term “mistrial,” few people really understand what a mistrial means. A mistrial occurs when some error in the trial process makes justice impossible if the proceedings continue. Sometimes this means that the jury…
Warrantless Searches of Vehicles OK in Pennsylvania
While police need a warrant to search a home based on probable cause in Pennsylvania, a judge’s signature is not necessary for a search of a car anymore. A Pennsylvania Supreme Court Ruling last April determined that law enforcement in…
