Pennsylvania Case Commentaries

Affirmation of Dismissal in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Chmiel: A Landmark Decision on Post-Conviction Relief and Forensic Evidence

Date: Nov 10, 2011

Affirmation of Dismissal in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Chmiel: A Landmark Decision on Post-Conviction Relief and Forensic Evidence Introduction The case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. David...

Expanded Interpretation of Ethnic Intimidation Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 2710: COMMONWEALTH v. SINNOTT

Date: Nov 3, 2011

Expanded Interpretation of Ethnic Intimidation Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 2710: COMMONWEALTH v. SINNOTT Introduction Case: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Daniel Sinnott, 30 A.3d 1105 (Supreme Court of...

Affirmation of Strict Standards for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Under Pennsylvania's Post Conviction Relief Act: Commonwealth v. Hanible

Date: Oct 20, 2011

Affirmation of Strict Standards for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Under Pennsylvania's Post Conviction Relief Act: Commonwealth v. Hanible Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Hanible, 30...

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Upholds Regular-Use Exclusion Precluding UIM Benefits for Police Officers

Date: Oct 20, 2011

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Upholds Regular-Use Exclusion Precluding UIM Benefits for Police Officers Introduction In the case of Robert C. Williams, Appellant v. GEICO Government Employees...

Workers' Compensation Exclusion in Employer-Sponsored Underinsured Motorist Policies Violates Public Policy

Date: Oct 20, 2011

Workers' Compensation Exclusion in Employer-Sponsored Underinsured Motorist Policies Violates Public Policy Introduction In the landmark case of Frank D. Heller and Beverly A. Heller v. Pennsylvania...

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Chamberlain: Upholding Death Sentences and Clarifying Due Process Obligations

Date: Oct 15, 2011

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Chamberlain: Upholding Death Sentences and Clarifying Due Process Obligations Introduction In Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Terry Ray Chamberlain, the Supreme Court...

Clarifying Hybrid Representation and Pro Se Appeals in Pennsylvania: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Nia Cooper

Date: Sep 30, 2011

Clarifying Hybrid Representation and Pro Se Appeals in Pennsylvania: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Nia Cooper Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Nia Cooper, Appellant (27 A.3d 994) is a...

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Affirms Standards for Ineffective Assistance Claims in Post-Conviction Relief: Commonwealth v. Hutchinson

Date: Aug 23, 2011

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Affirms Standards for Ineffective Assistance Claims in Post-Conviction Relief: Commonwealth v. Hutchinson Introduction In the landmark case Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Rejects Hybrid Representation: In-Depth Analysis of Commonwealth v. Jette

Date: Jun 23, 2011

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Rejects Hybrid Representation: In-Depth Analysis of Commonwealth v. Jette Introduction The case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Jules Jette, decided on June 22, 2011,...

Affirmation of Multiple Capital Homicide Convictions: No Double Jeopardy Violation in Commonwealth v. Spotz

Date: Apr 30, 2011

Affirmation of Multiple Capital Homicide Convictions: No Double Jeopardy Violation in Commonwealth v. Spotz Introduction The case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Mark Newton Spotz, decided on...

Affirmation of Death Sentence in Commonwealth v. Houser: Evaluating Aggravating Circumstances and Self-Defense Claims

Date: Apr 30, 2011

Affirmation of Death Sentence in Commonwealth v. Houser: Evaluating Aggravating Circumstances and Self-Defense Claims Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Darien Houser, 18 A.3d 1128 (Pa....

Establishing Boundaries on "Unknown Facts" in PCRA Timeliness Exceptions: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Edward Watts

Date: Apr 29, 2011

Establishing Boundaries on "Unknown Facts" in PCRA Timeliness Exceptions: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Edward Watts Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Edward Watts (23 A.3d 980) is a...

Willful Misconduct in Unemployment Compensation: Insights from Diane Chapman v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review

Date: Apr 26, 2011

Willful Misconduct in Unemployment Compensation: Insights from Diane Chapman v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review Introduction The case of Diane Chapman v. Unemployment Compensation Board of...

Reversing Summary Judgment: Clarifying the Discovery Rule and Reasonable Diligence in Pennsylvania Negligence Actions

Date: Apr 5, 2011

Reversing Summary Judgment: Clarifying the Discovery Rule and Reasonable Diligence in Pennsylvania Negligence Actions Introduction The case of David and Leslie Gleason et al. v. Borough of Moosic, et...

Establishing the Duty of Capital Defense Counsel to Investigate and Present Mitigating Evidence: Commonwealth v. Donyell A. Paddy

Date: Mar 31, 2011

Establishing the Duty of Capital Defense Counsel to Investigate and Present Mitigating Evidence: Commonwealth v. Donyell A. Paddy Introduction In the landmark case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v....

Affirmation of Denial of Post Conviction Relief in Commonwealth v. James Melvin Smith

Date: Mar 30, 2011

Affirmation of Denial of Post Conviction Relief in Commonwealth v. James Melvin Smith Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. James Melvin Smith (17 A.3d 873) is a significant case adjudicated...

Strict Enforcement of Rule 1925(b) Waiver in Post-Conviction Appeals: COMMONWEALTH v. HILL

Date: Mar 12, 2011

Strict Enforcement of Rule 1925(b) Waiver in Post-Conviction Appeals: COMMONWEALTH v. HILL Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Donnetta Hill, 16 A.3d 484 (Pa. 2011), is a pivotal case...

Commonwealth v. Lesko: Upholding PCRA Time-Bar Restrictions in Post-Conviction Relief

Date: Feb 25, 2011

Commonwealth v. Lesko: Upholding PCRA Time-Bar Restrictions in Post-Conviction Relief Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. John C. Lesko is a pivotal case decided by the Supreme Court of...

Expansion of Attorney-Client Privilege: Gillard v. AIG Insurance Co.

Date: Feb 24, 2011

Expansion of Attorney-Client Privilege: Gillard v. AIG Insurance Co. Introduction In Gillard v. AIG Insurance Co., the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania addressed a pivotal issue concerning the scope of...

Reaffirming Competitive Bidding in Public Procurement: Brayman Constr. Corp. v. PennDOT

Date: Feb 23, 2011

Reaffirming Competitive Bidding in Public Procurement: Brayman Constr. Corp. v. PennDOT Introduction In Brayman Construction Corporation and Stephen M. Muck, Appellants/Cross-Appellees v....