Monthly Archives: October 2011
Recent Animal Rights Rulings
Recent Animal Rights Rulings The Case of the “Gothic Cat”. By statute in Pennsylvania it is a crime to maim, mutilate, torture or disfigure an animal. In Commonwealth v. Crawford a woman was sentenced to six months of home confinement and electronic monitoring for violating… Continue reading
Philadelphia Tax Assessment Appeals -10-1-11 Deadline
In February, the ex-judge, from Luzern County, Mark A. Ciavarella, Jr., 61, was found guilty on twelve counts of racketeering, conspiracy, fraud and filing false tax returns in connection with his part in the “Cash for Kids” scheme that shocked Pennsylvania’s legal community. On August… Continue reading
Luzerne County’s “Justice” Runs Amok: A Follow-Up
In February, the ex-judge, from Luzerne County, Mark A. Ciavarella, Jr., 61, was found guilty on twelve counts of racketeering, conspiracy, fraud and filing false tax returns in connection with his part in the “Cash for Kids” scheme that shocked Pennsylvania’s legal community. On August… Continue reading
The Queen’s English – Redundancies
We, as lawyers, are hardly ones to talk; we have laden our language with redundancies and anachronisms from the beginning. There are, however, those among us who try to use language that non-lawyers, as well as lawyers, can understand. In my first class in freshman… Continue reading
What is Jurisdiction?
The best way to understand the legal concept of jurisdiction is by way of example. Suppose a Pennsylvania resident is injured in a car accident on Route 202 literally 100 yards across the Pennsylvania-Delaware border within the State of Delaware. And suppose the driver causing… Continue reading