Blog, Case Law Summaries, Constitutional Rights, DUI, Legal Briefs, Mandatory Sentence
Topic: DUI – Refusal of Chemical Testing – Birchfield – Mandatory Sentence – Alleyne Summary: The mandatory minimum sentence given by the Venango County Court of Common Pleas for a DUI chemical test refusal was unconstitutional. 1.) Defendants cannot be given a...
Blog, Blog Posts, Constitutional Rights, In the News
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala issued a statement outlining the public’s right to videotape police officers. DA Zappala explained that a person has the right to videotape police officers who are on duty but people do not have the right to...
Blog, Blog Posts, Constitutional Rights, In the News, Sentencing and Punishments
US attorneys are recommending a sentence of life in prison for Samuel Mullet. Mullet is an Amish bishop convicted of conspiracy and federal hate crimes after a string of attacks in which Amish individuals had their hair and beards cut with shears against their will....
Case Law Summaries, Constitutional Rights, Legal Briefs
Commonwealth v. David Bradford 2 WAP 2011 (05/30/2012) Topic: Constitutional Rights – Right to a Speedy Trial – Rule 600 Summary: The prosecution is permitted to rely upon the judicial system in its system for case tracking. Therefore, if the judicial system...
Constitutional Rights, In the News, Prostitution
U.S. District Court Judge John Grady has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Craiglist alleging that the company failed to adequately deter prostitutes from posting in its “Erotic Services” (now “Adult Services”) section. Judge Grady concluded...
Case Law Summaries, Constitutional Rights, Counterfeiting, Trademark Violations
Commonwealth v. Omar J-162A-B-2008 (10/05/2009)Topic: Trademark Counterfeiting – ConstitutionalitySummary: 18 Pa.C.S.A. Section 4119, which prohibited the unauthorized use of a trademark, was struck down as being overbroad. The law prohibited any use of a...
