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Blog Posts in 2011

56 results found. Viewing page 1 of 3. Go to page 1 2 3   Next

Superior Court reverses DUI conviction over request for chemical test

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. William Barker, a/k/a William Howard Barker, Jr. , Appellant, 2011 WL 5517056, 2011 PA Super 239, No. 1153 WDA 2010 (Nov. 14, 2011). This was an appeal from a Judgment ...
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Patdown Search Suppressed

United States of America v. Obie Lee Powell, Appellant, No. 08–4696, 2011 WL 5517347 (November 14, 2011). During a routine traffic stop in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, police removed Obie Lee ...
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NJ Supreme Court Rules Eye Witness Identification Unreliable

By: Isla Fruchter: The New Jersey Supremes just issued an opinion in the case of State v Larry R. Henderson, 2011 N.J. LEXIS 927, decided Aug. 24, 2011, which breaks the law wide open and should be ...
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Gagnon I & Gagnon II

If you are on probation and you are picked up by the police on a new case, or you are picked up by the police or the probation department for a technical violation of your probation you are entitled ...
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Sen. Jane Orie charged with multiple counts of forgery, tampering

By Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Monday, August 29, 2011 The Allegheny County District Attorney today charged state Sen. Jane Orie with multiple counts of perjury, tampering with evidence and forgery for ...
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Public Availability of Juvenile Court Records

Only limited information concerning a juvenile's adjudication of delinquency may be available as a matter of public record. The Juvenile Act governs the public's access to certain categories ...
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No probable cause where search warrant based on rational that an individual who molests children probably possesses child pornography

Dougherty, et al v. City of Covina, et al U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Cir Docket No: 2:08-cv-07114-PA-CT No probable cause where search warrant based on rational that an individual who molests ...
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Expunging a Juvenile Criminal Record

A. Expunging versus Sealing Although the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between sealing and expunging a juvenile record. If a record is sealed, the public has no access to ...
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What is a Detainer

A detainer is an Order from a judge directing that you not be release on bail. Detainers are placed when an individual is arrest on a new charge while on probation or parole. Normally, if you have a ...
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Expungement of Criminal Records in Pennsylvania

What is an expungement (1) To remove information so that there is no trace or indication that such information existed; (2) to eliminate all identifiers which may be used to trace the identity of an ...
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3rd Circuit Says New, More Lenient Crack Penalties Apply Immediately

Shannon P. Duffy The Legal Intelligencer August 10, 2011 On the heels of an about-face by the Justice Department, a federal appeals court has ruled that the new, more lenient sentencing rules for ...
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Judge Rules Accepting ARD a 'Prior Offense' in Allowing Interlock

The Legal Intelligencer August 09, 2011 A Pennsylvania man who entered into alternative rehabilitative disposition for a second DUI charge while his first DUI charges were pending can be considered a ...
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Pennsylvania's Minimum and Maximum Sentencing

Felony First Degree The longest allowable minimum sentence for a Felony of the First Degree is Twenty (20) years in a Pennsylvania State Correctional Facility. The Maximum fine for a Felony of the ...
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Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA)

The Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA) allows a defendant to appeal his or her case when a direct appeal to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania has been denied. The PCRA must be filed within a year of ...
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Penalties for Retail Theft/Shoplifting in PA

Penalties for Retail Theft/Shoplifting in PA Retail Theft Offense Category Maximum Penalty Items over $2000 in value, or theft is of a car or gun, or is a 3rd offense Third Degree Felony up to 7 years ...
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Update: Pennsylvania's Pretrial Diversion Program for first time DUI Offenders

Update : Pennsylvania's Pretrial Diversion Program for first time DUI Offenders I posted the penalties for DUI convictions in the past. As part of that post I explained Pennsylvania's ...
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Sobriety checkpoints

The law requires that sobriety checkpoints must ensure the safety of both drivers and police, be highly visible, and minimize the amount of time that each driver is stopped at the checkpoint. Police ...
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Governer Tom Corbett Signs New Expansive Gun Law

Reported by Peter Jackson, AP HARRISBURG, Pa.—Gov. Tom Corbett on Tuesday signed a bill to widen the right to use deadly force in self-defense. The bill, passed by the Senate last week, will ...
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Speedy Trial, Pennsylvania's Rule 600

Pennsylvania Criminal Procedure Rule 600 is Pennsylvania's speedy trial statute. The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Pennsylvania's Constitution, guarantees individuals ...
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A summary of Pennsylvania's DUI Laws

Accelerated Rehabilitative Dispossession ( ARD) In Pennsylvania, A driver who is a first time DUI offender or who has not had a previous DUI conviction with in the previous 10 years and who has not ...
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Vt. Supreme Court to hear police e-privacy case

The Associated Press - June 22, 2011 MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont Supreme Court is considering how free police should be to rummage through computers they seize with a search warrant. During a ...
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Class Action Seeking Bail for Jailed Immigrants Given Green Light

By Shannon P. Duffy -The Legal Intelligencer - June 22, 2011 In a significant win for immigration rights lawyers, a federal appeals court has ruled that immigrants who are jailed longer than six ...
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The Castle bill, expanding the right of self defense in Pennsylvania

The Castle bill, expanding the right of self defense in Pennsylvania, passed both houses of the General Assembly and will be sent to the Governor for final action. House Bill 40 will protect gun ...
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Pennsylvania Megan's Law Registration Details

42 Pa. C.S. § 9799.1 authorizes the Pennsylvania State Police to create and maintain a state registry of offenders and sexually violent predators. 10-Year Registration Offenders convicted of the ...
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Justices Refuse to Hear Case Over Pittsburgh Gun Ordinance

Gina Passarella The Legal Intelligencer June 15, 2011 Opponents of a Pittsburgh gun ordinance suffered another loss Tuesday when the state Supreme Court denied their petition for appeal of a lower ...
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