Burglaries on the Rise in Pittsburgh

July 13th, 2012 by admin

Throughout the city of Pittsburgh, burglaries are on the rise and officials are cautioning citizens to be “vigilant”. According to the Post-Gazette, 100 more burglaries were reported between January and May of this year than last. Read the rest of this entry »

He was beaten to a pulp after a “low speed” police chase. The video of his beating went viral. Now Robert Leone is serving a prison sentence for the events of that night and has most recently filed a federal lawsuit. Read the rest of this entry »

In 2009, Philadelphia took the first steps in reforming a bail system that hadn’t been touched in nearly 15 years. New court rules were issued in an effort to ensure judges were hearing cases “based on merits and not dismissed early because of witness fear and fatigue or gamesmanship by defense lawyers,” according to The Inquirer. This year, the city has begun working on those people who bailed out of jail pending trial and never showed back up, and on outdated bail guidelines. Read the rest of this entry »

Transient Groups and Fraud Scams

June 18th, 2012 by admin

The last meeting of the Hellerton Block Watch featured some important warnings to community members on how to avoid being scammed. According to the Hellerton Patch, State Police Trooper Kelly W. Pearson discussed transient groups and common scams in an effort to raise awareness of the crimes. Read the rest of this entry »

A criminal conviction can haunt you for years. And while Pennsylvania schools already limited who could get employment within the system following a conviction, Act 24, a newer law, places a lifetime ban on those convicted of numerous offenses. Read the rest of this entry »

Tougher Gun Penalties for Felons

May 25th, 2012 by admin

The Pennsylvania state House passed legislation this week that would increase penalties for convicted felons accused of possessing firearms. The bill now goes before the Senate, where it is likely to pass. Read the rest of this entry »

A bipartisan work group, the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, was presented with the findings of a five-month analysis, studying ways to make the state safer while simultaneously saving money. The research, completed by the Council of State Governments Justice Center in partnership with the Pew Center on the States and the U.S. Department of Justice, showed that the state could save about $351 million and reinvest $88 million into public safety over a 5 year period. Read the rest of this entry »

Twice a year trace evidence technicians are tested, six at a time, to ensure they are well-equipped to keep handling their crucial job. In the latest round of testing, three technicians failed. Though the department hasn’t released additional details, they are assuring the public and the media that the issue is being addressed. Read the rest of this entry »

The U.S. Constitution says you have a right to effective counsel when you are accused of a criminal offense. This doesn’t mean you have to utilize this right, though most prefer to have their case handled by someone educated in the legal system. Just this past week, a Philadelphia man was sentenced to 37 years in federal prison after essentially representing himself. Read the rest of this entry »

When a woman is in an abusive situation, she can always check into a shelter with her children, right? That is the ideal situation. Unfortunately, in Pennsylvania, there aren’t many shelters with room for domestic violence victims, and they have to turn people away. Read the rest of this entry »