On November 5th, 2019, Pennsylvania voters will cast their ballot for a proposed amendment that would create constitutional protections for crime victims. The description of the amendment, as it will appear on the ballot, seems reasonable at first. However, there are many problems with this measure (apart from the procedural irregularities that serve as the impetus for a current lawsuit [...]
Following the 2017 death of a Penn State student following a fraternity-related hazing incident, the state strengthened hazing laws in Pennsylvania by passing the “Timothy Piazza Anti-Hazing Law,” effective November 19, 2018. This made a number of changes to strengthen the law against hazing in Pennsylvania. Hazing is statutorily defined as “intentionally, knowingly or recklessly, for the purpose of initiating, [...]
The public media is replete with examples of algorithms -- mathematical-based formulas -- that are so prevalent in our everyday lives; and now predictive algorithms have spread to the criminal justice arena. “Predictive policing” describes using data about past crimes to predict where future crimes will occur, who might commit those future crimes, and who might be victimized by [...]
Governor Wolf signed into law House Bill 163 on October 24, 2018, which removes driver’s license suspension as a penalty for certain non-violent crimes that are not related to driving. These include minor drug offenses, using a fake ID, misrepresentations of age to buy alcohol, underage drinking, purchase of tobacco by a minor, and failing to pay child support. [...]