2019 - Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association - PDAA

Dec
11, 2019

PDAA Offers Guidelines on Disclosing Potential Credibility Issues Involving Police Witnesses

HARRISBURG, PA – Guidelines on how to disclose possible credibility issues involving law enforcement officers -- intended to ensure prosecutorial and investigative integrity -- were issued today by the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (PDAA). Released by PDAA’s Best Practices Committee, the guidelines provide clear recommendations for district attorneys and law enforcement. They cover the disclosure of any evidence that could call

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Nov
22, 2019

PDAA Praises Passage of “Sextortion” Bill

Legislation criminalizes the misuse of power to demand sexual acts, images or videos in social media and the internet HARRISBURG, PA -- A bipartisan bill to make sexual extortion illegal in Pennsylvania is headed to the governor’s desk to become law. House Bill 1402 was approved by both the state Senate and House this week unanimously in response to the

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Oct
18, 2019

PDAA Responds to ACLU’s Latest Attack on Victims of Crime, Public Safety and Prosecutors

HARRISBURG, PA -- The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (PDAA) issued the following statement in response to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) most recent attack on victims of crime and public safety in the report More Law, Less Justice: “The ACLU’s persistent and tired tactic of ignoring crime victims and public safety to advance its goal of eroding confidence in prosecutors

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Sep
27, 2019

PDAA Issues Statement Following Supreme Court Ruling that Denies Relief in Death Penalty Cases

Philadelphia, PA – The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (PDAA) today issued the statement below in reaction to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s order denying relief to Petitioners Cox and Marinelli in their applications for extraordinary King’s Bench relief. The petitioners challenged the constitutionality of the death penalty as it is applied in Pennsylvania based largely on the 2018 joint state government

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Sep
11, 2019

PDAA Issues Statement Following Supreme Court Argument On Death Penalty

Philadelphia, PA – The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (PDAA) commended the thoughtful and measured approach of the Attorney General’s office in defense of the constitutionality of the death penalty today before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the case of Commonwealth vs. Marinelli. The PDAA filed an amicus brief in the case and issued the following statement after today's argument: “Death penalty

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Aug
13, 2019

PDAA Testimony on HB 317 and HB 1509 Before the House Transportation Committee

Testimony of: Jim Martin, District Attorney, Lehigh County Ed McCann, First Assistant District Attorney, Montgomery County Daniel Warg, County Detective, Lehigh County Greg Rowe, Director of Legislation and Policy, Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association Thank you Chairmen Hennessey and Carroll and members of this Committee. We appreciate the opportunity to testify before you today. During our testimony, we plan on discussing how Automatic License Plate Readers

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Jul
17, 2019

Pike County DA Raymond Tonkin Elected President of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association

Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (PDAA) announced its newly elected officers for the 2019–2020 business year. The election took place during the Association’s annual business meeting. The new officers are: President: Hon. Raymond J. Tonkin, Pike County District Attorney Vice President: Hon. Michael Piecuch, Snyder County District Attorney Secretary/Treasurer: Hon. Kelly Callihan, Cambria County District Attorney “Through the PDAA, district attorneys throughout Pennsylvania

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Jul
17, 2019

Berks County DA John Adams Elected President to the PA District Attorneys Institute

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Institute (PDAI) announced its newly elected officers for the 2019–2020 business year. The election took place during the institution’s annual business meeting. The new officers are: President: Hon. John T. Adams, Berks County District Attorney Vice President: Hon. Richard Goldinger, Butler County District Attorney Secretary/Treasurer: Hon. Raymond Tonkin, Pike County District Attorney PDAI is the educational

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Jul
16, 2019

PDAA Defends Constitutionality of Death Penalty

Harrisburg, PA -- Pennsylvania’s death penalty statute meets constitutional standards by appropriately channeling the discretion of prosecutors and sentencing authorities. The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association made the following statement today after filing an amicus brief in the case of Commonwealth vs. Marinelli: “The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association filed this brief to urge sober application of long-established principles of statutory interpretation, constitutional

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Jul
3, 2019

PDAA Statement on Legislative Fix to Hlubin Decision

Yesterday, the Governor signed legislation designed to address the problems caused by the recent PA Supreme Court decision in Commonwealth v. Hlubin. The legislation is House Bill 1614 of 2019 and it takes effect immediately. You will recall that in the Hlubin decision (May 31, 2019), the Court held that DUI task forces made up of law enforcement officials from different

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