In a new PA Superior Court Case, Commonwealth v. Lloyd, 2008 Pa. Super. 101 (May 14, 2008), the Court upholds a search warrant for medical records obtained from a hospital by police after the county district attorney’s office illegally obtained the records. The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office obtained blood alcohol content records from a […]
Archives for May 2008
Excessive Force Rampant in Philadelphia PD?
The question of whether excessive and unnecessary force in the police department is worse than we thought will hot topic heating up in the upcoming months. Today, according to news reports, two Philadelphia Police Officers have been charged with beating a man alleged to have been caught painting graffiti on a wall. One article, reported […]
Search Warrants and Property Destruction During a Search
When police execute a search warrant on a home, the interior of that home is sometimes left unrecognizable. Broken flower pots, ripped-up floor boards and shredded Teddy Bears are some of the pictures that come to my mind when thinking about how police leave a home after a search. If the search is pursuant to […]
What’s the Difference Between Probation and Parole?
“What’s the difference between probation and parole?” This is a frequently asked question that many of my clients ask. Both probation and parole permit an individual to serve their sentence, or a portion of their sentence, in the community, instead of in jail, which many people find attractive. Also, probation and parole are both considered […]
Illegal Firearm Ownership Transfers End With Consequences
PA Attorney General Tom Corbett and Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham have devised a joint task force about a year-and-a-half ago called force called the Gun Violence Task Force (“GVTF”). Within the GVTF, there are veteran police officers, Attorney General Special Agents, and Assistant District Attorneys who work on gun cases, day in and day […]