Sometimes, the tools that are developed to help protect people can also be used to hurt people. This is the case for Pennsylvania’s ChildLine abuse reporting system, which handles reports from both so-called “mandated...
Category: General Criminal Defense
While some states give juveniles the right to an attorney before they appear in court – when police question them after an arrest or a detention – Pennsylvania has not yet joined them. In Pennsylvania, a juvenile may be...
The crime of domestic abuse in Pennsylvania has a very broad definition. The definition of “Abuse” in the Pennsylvania domestic abuse statute includes a number of different acts, ranging from physically injuring a spouse or...
The crime of criminal mischief always seems to pop up in those odd “clickbait” news stories that somehow find their way into our Internet news feeds. Articles with headlines like “Police: Blair County man in underwear hides...
Pennsylvania’s Protection from Abuse (PFA) Act was enacted more than thirty years ago to allow victims of actual or threatened abuse to seek a court order that restricts the recipient of the order from having various forms...
A Bucks County courtroom was the scene of a long-awaited sentencing in February, as Ian Pisarchuk of Bensalem was sentenced to decades in prison. Pisarchuk, 27, was convicted on dozens of counts of sexual extortion, harassment,...
Delaware County law enforcement officials, in partnership with the private company Fusus, have proposed a real-time crime center. The goal of the project is to increase public-funded surveillance of high-crime areas and eventually...
A Delaware bill mandating Catholic priests to report confessions of abuse or neglect to the police is stirring heated debate throughout our neighboring state. Supporters of the bill argue the law is necessary to protect children...
An 18-year-old Pennsylvania man was recently arrested and charged with raping another juvenile while the two were in a relationship in 2022. Because the alleged rapes occurred before the defendant turned 18, he was charged as a...
Have you ever heard that eating poppy seed bagels for breakfast can actually trigger a positive drug test? It sounds like an urban legend—drinking soda while eating Pop Rocks will kill you; swallowed chewing gum stays in your...
Former Mercyhurst Athletes Charged with Pushing Disabled Woman’s Wheelchair Down Pub Stairs
May 8, 2023
Wheelchair users know that in order to live a life of relative freedom, they sometimes need to abandon the chairs they otherwise rely on. For example, they may choose to patronize an establishment with restrooms located near a...
Forty-nine-year-old Milton resident Donald Kizer is a child predator hunter. That is, the grandfather of four poses online as an underage teen to flush out pedophiles, expose them to the world, and bring them to justice. Kizer...
The arrest of a Pennsylvania man who had been on the run from police for weeks highlights the serious consequences defendants who violate Protections for Abuse orders (PFAs) can face. Law enforcement officers apprehended Rick...
The legal landscape is constantly changing. On top of a mountain of other concerns, the list of dos and don’ts is ever-growing for those accused of crimes. Navigating your best course of action while trying to defend...
Getting convicted of a crime as a non-citizen can be a scary experience. In addition to all of the consequences that come with a criminal case, non-citizens must also have to worry about the threat of deportation. Because being...
Getting arrested for drug possession or other drug-related crimes can have a negative effect on many different areas of your life. You may have to report your drug conviction in applications for jobs or housing, or your conviction...
Pennsylvania imposes harsh penalties for the solicitation of sex with a minor. Courts often side with law enforcement and grant them significant powers to ensure minors are safe. A recent case involving a high school teacher and...
It’s long been established that family ties can reduce future recidivism, especially in younger individuals. But how can families keep those ties strong if their child has been sentenced to a juvenile detention facility...
Recent school and mass shootings, including a public elementary school in Uvalde, Texas; a Wal-Mart in Chesapeake, Virginia; a private elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee; and a synagogue in Squirrel Hill, make it clear that...
Childhood Trauma and Crime
April 20, 2023
As parents, we all do our best to keep our children safe, ensure they have the food, shelter, and clothing they need, and love them. But not every child is born into an ideal situation. Sometimes we can’t protect them from...