Tag Archives: criminal defense attorney
Miranda Rights — When They Apply and When They Don’t
Anyone familiar with television police shows such as Law and Order or CSI has surely seen the police officers portrayed on these shows reading Miranda rights to suspects: You have the right to remain silent Your statements may be used to incriminate you in court You have the right to an attorney Counsel can be […]
Social Media and Self-Incrimination
Derek Medina, the man dubbed The Facebook Killer for posting an alleged confession coupled with photos of his dead wife, pled not guilty to murder charges at the end of August. Medina was charged with second degree murder based in part on his Facebook postings. The use of social media has exploded in modern American […]
Stop-and-Frisk in Pennsylvania
Stop-and-frisk is a police practice of detaining people on the street and searching them. Two years after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed suit to halt illegal stop-and-frisk practices by the Philadelphia Police Department, a follow-up study concluded that while the use of this tactic has declined, stop-and-frisk practices continue to be misused by […]
The Consequences of Leaving the Scene of an Accident
Recently, around 3:00 in the afternoon, a taxi struck a Temple University student who was crossing a Philadelphia street. The vehicle left the scene, leaving her unconscious in the road. She was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. Surveillance cameras in the area caught the collision on film, and police are now seeking the […]
I Fought the Law and the Law Won – Resisting Arrest in Pennsylvania
Sometimes people refuse to be taken into custody without a fight. Often the feeling that your arrest is unjust may be subjectively justified. Maybe you already cleared up that warrant, or you know your brother got that ticket but used your name, or you feel you need to come to the aid of your buddy […]
The Aging of the Commonwealth and Elder Abuse Concerns
Pennsylvania’s population is aging. The House Aging and Adult Older Services Committee reported that there are 2.7 million people age 60 or older and that figure will exceed 3.6 million by 2030. Older Pennsylvanians age 60 or older comprise 21% of our Commonwealth’s population, but by 2030 they will be 25% of our population. By […]
Five Things You Need to Know About Juvenile Justice
Unlike adult criminal courts whose focus is primarily punishment and deterrence, the juvenile court system is focused on rehabilitating delinquent children through a wide variety of programs to make them responsible and productive members of the community Nonetheless, any parent should be concerned about the collateral consequences of certain juvenile court adjudications. Juvenile adjudications − […]
Distracted Driving — It’s a Danger to All
Earlier this year in Berks County, a tour bus driver was fired from his job for driving while scrolling through his smartphone emails and texts. At one point he reached for another electronic device and took his hands off the steering wheel while the bus was moving. His distracted driving was caught on video by […]
Sexual Violence in Juvenile Detention Facilities
The Department of Justice just released a shocking report, the National Survey of Youth in Custody, on the incidence of sexual assault and other involuntary sexual acts committed on juveniles in the nation’s detention facilities. Nationwide the figure looms darkly: 9.5 percent of children incarcerated have experienced sexual violence. In Pennsylvania, the figure is 7.5 […]
