By Mia Hoetzlein-Sirman, Staff Writer On February 7, 2023, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania returned a monumental decision on an ongoing school funding lawsuit almost a year after the trial ended. The court determined that the funding mechanisms for Pennsylvania’s public schools are unconstitutional and must be remedied immediately. This […]
Post Tagged with: "pennsylvania"
Free Speech Concerns Amidst the Adoption of the Anti-Bias Rule
By Riley Frank, Staff Writer The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has hopes of adopting Rule 8.4(g), which states that biased decision-making by attorneys constitutes professional misconduct and enshrines this into the Pennsylvania Code. [1] Though this rule seems relatively straightforward and ethical, judges and attorneys alike have taken issue with its adoption. […]
Should Pennsylvania Courts Allow False Confession Expert Testimony?
By Felicia Dusha, Features Editor Photo courtesy of pixabay.com To date, 375 people convicted of crimes in the United States have been exonerated by DNA testing.[1] Of the 375 people, about 30 percent confessed to crimes they did not commit.[2] Experts on false confessions have studied these cases and compiled data on […]
The PA Marijuana Pardon Project: What is it and how does it work?
By Jenna Anderson, Staff Writer
Fetterman and Oz Battled Over What to Do with Felony Murder
By Madeline Olds, Staff Writer As the final days before the election came to a close, a topic closely watched by both Democrats and Republicans was crime.[1] Violent crime has increased over this past year and has become one of the key voting issues amongst all parties.[2] With crime in consideration, both […]
Supreme Court Hears $400 Million MoneyGram Conflict
By Jordan Jiles, Staff Writer On Monday, October 3, the United States Supreme Court’s 2022-2023 term began, and one of the first cases it heard was a multi-million-dollar dispute involving over 30 states. The case, known as Delaware v. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, centers around the categorization of financial instruments issued […]
The Fight to Reform Felony-Murder Sentencing in Pennsylvania
By Emily Buchman, Staff Writer Pennsylvania is one of more than 40 states with a felony-murder law. Such laws stipulate that if a death occurs while a felony is being committed, participants in the felony can be charged with murder, even if they played no direct role in the death.[1] Pennsylvania […]
PA Supreme Court to Determine State Congressional Map
By: Jacob Schramm, Staff Writer Following the recent decision nullifying a no-excuse mail-in voting law,[1] and for the second time in three election cycles, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will resolve the ongoing dispute on Congressional redistricting.[2] The process of adopting a new Congressional map started with the 2020 census, but […]
Bipartisan Bill Calls for the Legalization of Recreational Marijuana in Pennsylvania
By Alexa Glista, Feature Editor The legalization of marijuana for adult recreational use has been an issue pushed by Pennsylvania Democrats for many years without much success.[1] However, having a Republican on board could help the bill become law, especially because Republicans control the state House and Senate.[2] Democrat Sen. Sharif […]
A Humanitarian Crisis in Philadelphia Prisons
Photo courtesy of https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2021-03-2-k-paynter-curran-fromhold-correctional-facility-4.jpg By: Felicia Dusha, Staff Writer Over the past few months, The Philadelphia Inquirer has reported shockingly inhumane conditions in Philadelphia’s prisons.[1] This year alone, 14 people in Philadelphia prisons have died.[2] People are locked in cells for sometimes 22 or 23 hours a day, experience delays […]