US Supreme Court
April 3, 2018 | Petitioner police officer is entitled to qualified immunity where his actions didn’t violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known. Read the opinion here.
April 18, 2018 | Supreme Court affirms the Ninth Circuit’s judgment—that 18 USC 16(b), which defines violent felony for purposes of the Immigration and Nationality Act’s removal provisions, is unconstitutionally vague. Read the opinion here.
US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
April 10, 2018 | Third Circuit decides a novel issue of constitutional law: Whether the Eighth Amendment prohibits a term-of-years sentence for the duration of a juvenile homicide offender’s life expectancy when the defendant’s “crimes reflect transient immaturity [and not] … irreparable corruption.” Read the opinion here.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
April 2, 2018 | Have questions about the PA Lawyers Fund for Client Security? If so, please click here.
April 6, 2018 | Interested in viewing significant judicial decisions involving the Right-to-Know Law? View them here.
April 19, 2018 |The Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania: Case Records of the Appellate and Trial Courts has been amended. Click here, here, and here for more information.
April 24, 2018 | The Supreme Court amended Rule of Juvenile Court Procedure 409 to change the outcome from “termination of jurisdiction” to “dismissal of petition” when the court finds the juvenile is “not in need.” Read the order here, the new rule here, and the final report here.
Pennsylvania Superior Court
April 11, 2018 | Pa. Superior Court vacates $21 million insurance bad faith award. Read the opinion here and the dissenting opinion here.
April 16, 2018 | Like adult clients, effective representation of a child requires, at a minimum, attempting to ascertain the client’s position and advocating in a manner designed to effectuate that position. Read the opinion here.
April 25, 2018 | Rule of capture does not apply to hydraulic fracturing fissures that extend under unleased parcels. Read the opinion here.
Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas
April 4, 2018 | The newest PLJ Opinions contains opinions on home rule, negligence, summary judgment and auto damages. Read it here.
April 12, 2018 | The 4/13 PLJ Opinions is available and contains numerous Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas opinions. Read it here.