Articles

In an attempt to curtail fatal drug overdoses, Pennsylvania and many other states have amended their drug laws to provide immunity for people who suffer drug overdoses and those who assist overdose victims. This immunity only applies to charges like drug and paraphernalia possession, as well as parole and probation violations. Drug-induced homicides and delivery […]

On June 9th, the Supreme Court of the United States decided the case of Williams v. Pennsylvania. In doing so, the SCOTUS overturned a ruling of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, holding that a Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice should had recused himself from ruling on a case in which he had prior involvement as a district […]

After finding last year that nearly all hair examiners in FBI forensics units had overstated testimony regarding hair matches, which have incriminated defendants in criminal trials over the last several decades, the Justice Department just recently proposed the first department-wide standards for expert testimony. These standards will seek to ensure that forensic experts within the […]

Article on Ricker and hearsay at Preliminary Hearings

The advent of smartphones and their ever-increasing capabilities has brought with it extremely high levels of distracted driving, and consequently, a higher frequency of accidents. Texting, music, and even navigation applications cause drivers to look down at their phones for significant periods of time rather than keep their eyes on the road, and this distracted […]