Can police uninvited and without a warrant enter a residential driveway to search a parked vehicle? The U.S. Supreme Court recently said “no.” Stolen Motorcycle After seeing photographs on a Facebook profile, police believed that a stolen motorcycle was parked at the top of a driveway at a private residence. An officer went to the…
Should a woman who was kidnapped by Salvadoran guerrillas in 1990, who witnessed them kill her husband, and who was forced to cook, clean and wash their clothes under threat of death be denied asylum because her slave labor provided “material support” to a terrorist organization? According to the Board of Immigration Appeals, the answer…
A recent decision by the Pennsylvania Superior Court is not good news if you believe your spouse expended significant marital assets on illicit lovers and are looking to “settle the tab” in divorce court. Not Our Role In Schultz v. Schultz, a high-asset couple was divorcing after 25 years of marriage. The husband’s net monthly…
There are countless, innocuous reasons why a driver who is not listed on a rental car agreement may get behind the car’s wheel and drive. For those individuals, a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision protects their Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures and comes as good news. For the man…
What type of warrant must police have before barging into your home to arrest someone? The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently weighed in with its answer. Not Here In Commonwealth v. Romero, police obtained an arrest warrant for a man, criminally convicted, who absconded from a halfway house to which he had been released on parole….
A recent federal court case in Pennsylvania provides a lesson in how ordinary traffic stops can escalate into something much more serious when police suspect a crime. Crossing the White Fog Line In U.S. v. Xiao Wu Zhou, a Pennsylvania State Police trooper pulled over a U-Haul on Interstate 80 after witnessing it cross over…
By now, the Bill Cosby verdict is yesterday’s news. Cosby, the entertainer ― whom we all loved as if he were our own dad ― was convicted on April 26 on three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He joins the ranks of celebrities, politicians, journalists, business executives, and others who have recently made salacious headlines…
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. For one worker injured while freaking out over a cockroach, her truthfulness, forthright demeanor, and consistency in telling her medical history convinced a judge that she was entitled to workers’ compensation benefits ― and helped her keep those benefits on appeal. A Cockroach In Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA)…
Anyone who’s ever suffered from debilitating, chronic pain understands the desperate need for pain relief ― even if the relief is only short-term. If acupuncture provides pain relief for a day or two, is it a covered treatment for which workers’ compensation insurance must pay? The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania recently said “yes.” Herniated Disc…
Today’s cellphones double as rolodexes, cameras, tape recorders, video recorders, mini computers, libraries, diaries, televisions, newspapers, maps, books, and much more. So, can the police search your cellphone ― essentially your whole life ― without a warrant? The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently said “no.” Monitoring Calls In Commonwealth v. Fulton, a homicide victim informed police…
A recent case decided by the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas serves as a reminder of the perils of posting on social media when you are suing someone for personal injuries. Posting on Instagram In Kelter v. Flanagan, a woman who claimed injuries in an automobile accident testified at a deposition (a proceeding in…
If you pay alimony and plan to retire in a few years, Pennsylvania’s Superior Court may have just blown a hole in your financial strategy ― unless you pick a date certain. In March, the court ruled that a husband would not be allowed to gradually decrease, and ultimately terminate, his alimony payments to his…