Pennsylvania Case Commentaries

Inherent Judicial Authority to Amend Illegal Sentences Beyond Statutory Timeframes: Analysis of Commonwealth v. Holmes and v. Whitfield

Date: Oct 17, 2007

Inherent Judicial Authority to Amend Illegal Sentences Beyond Statutory Timeframes: Analysis of Commonwealth v. Holmes and v. Whitfield Introduction The Commonwealth v. Christopher Holmes and...

Bad Faith Insurance Claims Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8371 Subject to Two-Year Statute of Limitations

Date: Oct 12, 2007

Bad Faith Insurance Claims Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8371 Subject to Two-Year Statute of Limitations Introduction In the landmark case of Brent D. Ash and Kathy Ash v. Continental Insurance Company, decided...

Reinstatement of PCRA Appeal Rights: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Bennett (593 Pa. 382)

Date: Aug 24, 2007

Reinstatement of PCRA Appeal Rights: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Bennett (593 Pa. 382) Introduction In the landmark case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Bennett, decided by the Supreme Court...

Sustaining Capital Convictions: Admissibility of Linked Evidence in Consolidated Homicide Trials in Commonwealth v. Bernard Cousar

Date: Aug 22, 2007

Sustaining Capital Convictions: Admissibility of Linked Evidence in Consolidated Homicide Trials in Commonwealth v. Bernard Cousar Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Bernard Cousar (593 Pa....

Dauphin County General Authority v. Program Administration Services: Enforcing Long-Term Contracts Under Statutory Authority

Date: Aug 21, 2007

Dauphin County General Authority v. Program Administration Services: Enforcing Long-Term Contracts Under Statutory Authority Introduction Dauphin County General Authority v. Program Administration...

Strict Compliance Requirements for Counsel Withdrawal in Appeals and PCRA Cases: Insights from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Wrecks

Date: Aug 15, 2007

Strict Compliance Requirements for Counsel Withdrawal in Appeals and PCRA Cases: Insights from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Wrecks Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Wrecks is a...

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board v. City Council of Philadelphia: Supreme Court Establishes Exclusive Regulatory Authority Over Gaming Facility Locations

Date: Aug 4, 2007

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board v. City Council of Philadelphia: Supreme Court Establishes Exclusive Regulatory Authority Over Gaming Facility Locations Introduction Pennsylvania Gaming Control...

Rainey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Reinforcing Standards for Effective Assistance in Capital Post-Conviction Relief

Date: Jul 19, 2007

Rainey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Reinforcing Standards for Effective Assistance in Capital Post-Conviction Relief Introduction Rainey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 593 Pa. 67 (2007),...

Affirmation of Denial of Post-Conviction Relief in COMMONWEALTH v. WASHINGTON

Date: Jul 19, 2007

Affirmation of Denial of Post-Conviction Relief in COMMONWEALTH v. WASHINGTON Introduction The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, in the case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Anthony Washington (No....

Toy v. Metropolitan Life: Defining the Scope of Bad Faith Claims under §8371 and Consumer Protection Law

Date: Jul 19, 2007

Toy v. Metropolitan Life: Defining the Scope of Bad Faith Claims under §8371 and Consumer Protection Law Introduction In Toy v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 593 Pa. 20 (2007), the Supreme...

Comprehensive Commentary on Georgina Toy v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.

Date: Jul 19, 2007

Georgina Toy v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.: A Landmark Decision on Bad Faith and Consumer Protection in Insurance Contracts Introduction Georgina Toy v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and...

Clarifying Appellate Review Standards in Sentencing: Commonwealth v. Walls

Date: Jul 18, 2007

Clarifying Appellate Review Standards in Sentencing: Commonwealth v. Walls Introduction In Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. William Theodore Walls, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania addressed crucial...

Legal Commentary: Pocono Manor Investors v. Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

Date: Jul 13, 2007

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Upholds Category 2 Slot Machine License: POCONO MANOR INVESTORS, LP v. PENNSYLVANIA GAMING CONTROL BOARD Introduction In the landmark case of POCONO MANOR INVESTORS,...

Revisiting Actual Malice: The Role of Republication in Defamation - Weaver v. Lancaster Newspapers, Inc.

Date: Jun 29, 2007

Revisiting Actual Malice: The Role of Republication in Defamation - Weaver v. Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. Introduction Weaver v. Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. is a seminal case decided by the Supreme...

Admissibility of Prior Bad Acts in Sexual Assault Cases: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Dillon

Date: Jun 27, 2007

Admissibility of Prior Bad Acts in Sexual Assault Cases: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Dillon Introduction In the landmark case Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Thomas Dillon, Appellee, the Supreme...

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Upholds Advisory Sentencing Guidelines in Yuhasz Decision

Date: Jun 1, 2007

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Upholds Advisory Sentencing Guidelines in Yuhasz Decision Introduction The case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Michael Yuhasz (592 Pa. 120) presents a pivotal...

Enforceability of Arbitration Agreements in Subprime Lending: Salley Jr. v. Option One Mortgage Corp.

Date: Jun 1, 2007

Enforceability of Arbitration Agreements in Subprime Lending: Salley Jr. v. Option One Mortgage Corp. Introduction Salley Jr. v. Option One Mortgage Corp., 592 Pa. 323 (2007), is a landmark case...

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Clarifies Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Standards in Violation of Probation Sentencing

Date: Jun 1, 2007

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Clarifies Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Standards in Violation of Probation Sentencing Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Gregory Reaves is a pivotal case...

Refining the Plain View Exception: Commonwealth v. McCree Establishes Lawful Access as a Prerequisite

Date: Jun 1, 2007

Refining the Plain View Exception: Commonwealth v. McCree Establishes Lawful Access as a Prerequisite Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Henry McCree, 592 Pa. 238 (2007) marks a significant...

Strict Adherence to Pennsylvania Rule 1925(b) in Parental Rights Appeals: A Comprehensive Analysis of In re L.M. Appeal of S.M.

Date: May 2, 2007

Strict Adherence to Pennsylvania Rule 1925(b) in Parental Rights Appeals: A Comprehensive Analysis of In re L.M. Appeal of S.M. Introduction The case of In re L.M. Appeal of S.M., Natural Mother (923...