pa-supreme-court

Philly museum founder steps up for Pa. House seat being vacated by Rep. Rosita Youngblood

BY: - February 20, 2020

Supreme Divine Dow, a lifetime resident and founder of the Black Writers Museum, believes he has what it takes to take over Youngblood’s position.

Voters may cast a ballot on Marsy’s Law, but a count will have to wait, Pa. Supremes rule

BY: - November 4, 2019

Pennsylvania voters can cast their ballots Tuesday — but when it comes to one controversial ballot measure, the state won’t be a-counting.

DePasquale calls for better training of district judges after 100s mistakenly given criminal records

BY: - August 12, 2019

Pennsylvania’s fiscal watchdog is calling for better training of the judges who most often serve as a person’s first exposure to the criminal justice system. The suggestion by Auditor General Eugene DePasquale comes in response to revelations last month that a magisterial district judge in Erie incorrectly classified hundreds of civil complaints as criminal cases, […]

How Pa.’s Supreme Court moved left, and what it means for the GOP

BY: - August 9, 2019

(*Updated: This story was corrected at 11:50 a.m. to correct the spelling of David Senoff’s name.) It’s been nine years since Pennsylvania Democrats last controlled a chamber of the General Assembly. With Gov. Tom Wolf’s election in 2014, the party regained its grip over the executive branch. In his four years in office, Wolf has […]

Pittsburgh can require private employers to provide paid sick leave, Pa. Supreme Court rules

BY: - July 17, 2019

Wednesday's ruling doesn’t necessarily mean Pittsburgh’s paid sick leave law is safe.

Cash bail, explained: How it works and why criminal justice reformers want to get rid of it

BY: - July 14, 2019

Pre-trial detention is supposed to keep the public safer and make sure people show up for court. But the Pennsylvania branch of the American Civil Liberties Union argues that Philadelphia’s cash bail system does neither, and instead “effectively criminalizes poverty.” 

Pa. Supreme Court says it will investigate ‘systemic failures’ in Philly’s cash bail system

BY: - July 9, 2019

In an unusual move, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court says it plans to study “alleged systemic failures” in Philadelphia’s cash bail system. In an order issued Monday, the high court says it’s open to suggestions to improving the existing cash bail system, but “any attempt to advocate for the abolition of cash bail,” is not on […]

COMMENTARY

The way Pa. picks its judges is broken. But it’s still better than this GOP alternative | Opinion

BY: - May 29, 2019

To say that the elections are a farce probably understates the severity of the situation.

Why the state Supreme Court and General Assembly may go head-to-head over medical malpractice rules

BY: - February 27, 2019

Where you can and can’t file a medical malpractice lawsuit is shaping up to be a partisan battle between Pennsylvania’s legislative and judicial branches. On one side you have the state Supreme Court, which may once again allow lawyers to file suits in the county of their choosing. That rule was changed more than a […]

ACLU asks Pa. Supreme Court to declare the death penalty unconstitutional

BY: - February 22, 2019

The Pennsylvania branch of the American Civil Liberties Union has asked the state’s highest court to declare the Keystone State’s death penalty statute unconstitutional, arguing that it violates equal protection provisions because of “the vast disparities across the commonwealth in the quality of representation for capital case defendants who are unable to pay.” Right now, […]