What were the biggest legal stories in Pennsylvania last year?
Certainly at the top of the list was Pennsylvania Atty. Gen. Kathleen Kane being charged with an assortment of crimes including perjury and criminal contempt.
Normally when a politician is indicted, the politician takes a leave of absence until her case is over.
Instead, Atty. Gen. Kane has decided to stay office while she fights the charges.
On top of that, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court stripped her of her legal license.
It’s unclear how this whole thing will sort out.
One thing is for sure. 2016 will be a year of political drama in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
2 Sex Scandal rocks local high school
Plum Borough High School had to deal with an explosive sexual situation.
Several teachers in Plum Borough were accused of having sex with several high school girls who they taught.
Then a teacher at Plum High School during class told one of the victims that she was destroying another teacher’s life by these accusations.
That teacher was charged with intimidation witnesses.
Pittsburgh wrongful death, Medical malpractice, car accident and criminal defense attorney Bernie Tully thinks this whole sordid affair is outrageous.
To think that the very teachers who are supposed to be caring for the students would stoop to such acts is just mind-boggling.
3 Pennsylvania fails to pass a budget.
First year Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf tried to pass a budget to run the State for the year.
But the Republican State House and Senate dug in their heels and resisted the governor.
The result is one of the longest budget impasses in Pennsylvania history.
With no end in sight.
4 Pennsylvania voters elect 3 new State Supreme Court justices– All Democrats.
In November 2015, the voters of Pennsylvania were called upon to elect 3 new State Supreme Court justices.
In an extremely expensive campaign for the 6 candidates who ran for the Supreme Court, the voters spoke.
When the dust cleared we selected 3 ethical smart pro consumer advocates for the state High Court.
5 the Jury pendulum may have swung back in favor of injured victims instead of insurance companies.
Several individual jury verdicts throughout the state of Pennsylvania have returned awards that fairly and adequately compensate injured victims for their pain and suffering.
Although no one knows for sure whether this jury trend of compensating persons hurt in accidents will continue, at least it’s a start in the right direction.
6 Bill Cosby is criminally charged in Pennsylvania with aggravated indecent assault.
The allegation is the victim was unable to resist his advances because Crosby had drugged her up prior to assaulting her.
Stay tuned on this one.
What was your favorite story in 2015?
Thanks for reading.
Bernie the attorney.