by Lea Bickerton | Mar 17, 2009 | Case Law Summaries, PCRA
Commonwealth v. William Mikell 2009 PA Super 44 (3/17/2009)Topic: PCRA – Waiver – Reinstatement of Right to a Direct AppealSummary: When an issue is waived on direct appeal, an appellant cannot later claim that he was denied the right to a direct...
by Lea Bickerton | Mar 17, 2009 | Appeal, Case Law Summaries, sentencing
Commonwealth v. Michael John Paul Macias 2009 PA Super 45 (3/17/2009)Topic: Sentencing – Abuse of Discretion – Impermissible Factors to ConsiderSummary: Where a sentencing court justifies its enhanced sentence (in part) by stating that the facts of the...
by Lea Bickerton | Mar 16, 2009 | Case Law Summaries, Search and Seizure, Suppression of Evidence
Commonwealth v. John Charles Lee, II 2009 PA Super 43 (3/13/2009)Topic: DUI – Suppression of Evidence – Exigent CircumstancesSummary: Where the police were investigating a report of property damage (an offense that is considered to be of low-gravity),...
by Lea Bickerton | Mar 11, 2009 | Case Law Summaries, Search and Seizure, Suppression of Evidence
Commonwealth v. Hakim Johnson 2009 PA Super 41 (3/11/2009)Topic: Suppression of Evidence – Exigency Exception to the Warrant RequirementSummary: Where a police officer is attempting to determine the identity of a crime victim who is not suspected of committing a...
by Lea Bickerton | Mar 4, 2009 | In the News, Jail Conditions
In a move that will save Butler County, Pennsylvania over $20,000 per year, inmates in the Butler County Jail will receive access to LexisNexis. The computerized legal research system will allow the county meet its legal obligation to provide access to legal research...
by Lea Bickerton | Mar 4, 2009 | Death Penalty, In the News
**UPDATED 3/09/2009**For years, opponents of the death penalty have challenged the practice by arguing that it is immoral, racist, and barbaric. In the current economic climate, an economic argument may be the winning one.Currently, Kansas, New Mexico, and Colorado...
