Yearly Archives: 2006
Expungement of Criminal Records
Like all states, Pennsylvania maintains centralized records of criminal history information. These records contain a broad range of information collected by criminal justice agencies throughout the State arising from brushes with the law, including records of arrest, indictment, other formal criminal charges and the disposition… Continue reading
How to Handle a Traffic Stop
We have handled a fair number of traffic cases, and a common thread we see is that the outcome of a traffic stop can depend heavily on the interaction with the police officer making the stop. Suppose you are stopped after going through a traffic… Continue reading
Latin Lovers IV
Look on the back of a quarter (or any other coin) and you will see the familiar phrase E Pluribus Unum – the motto for the United States of America. So what does it mean? Literally, “one out of many.” America was formed from a… Continue reading
Business Entities – – Some New Options
The law recognizes two types of persons: the natural kind, like you and me who eat three meals a day, sleep through alarm clocks, etc.; and the artificial kind which are legal entities created to perform a specific task. Imagine our economy without corporations, partnerships,… Continue reading
What is a Writ of Execution?
In a civil case, when the plaintiff is successful in proving his case, he obtains a judgment against the defendant. If the case seeks recovery of money damages, the judgment will be for a specific dollar amount of recovery.The story does not end here, however.… Continue reading
Integration Clauses
What is an integration clause? Before you start thinking it has something to do with affirmative action, let’s set the record straight. Integration clauses typically are included at the end of most contracts and provide, in express terms, that the written contract represents the entire… Continue reading
Italia ’97
Late in May Karol and I flew to Rome on a direct flight (which is a great convenience) from Philadelphia and had a delightful couple of weeks roaming the countryside. Some lasting impressions: As we travel extensively up and down both the east and west… Continue reading
Intent to be Legally Bound
From the beginning of American jurisprudence, our law of contracts has required the presence of “consideration” in order for a contractual obligation to be enforceable. Stated simply, both parties to a contract must be required to give up something and receive something as part of… Continue reading
Parental Responsibility for Children’s Acts
Suppose your son or daughter goes out to a graduation party, has a few beers and later commits an act of vandalism on the other side of town. While all parents would like to think of their children as incapable of such behavior, could you… Continue reading
Latin Lovers III
Three years after the applicable statute of limitations has expired, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania brings an action against a manufacturer of asbestos products to recover the cost of removing asbestos from a school operated by the State. The manufacturer defends on the basis that the… Continue reading