I just wrote a post on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s recent decision to re-visit when schools and municipalities may be held liable for dangerous conditions on their properties. Brewington The case I wrote about was Brewington v. City of Philadelphia, 149...
Newman Williams is pleased to announce that three of its lawyers have once again received the highest possible rating in both Legal Ability and Ethical Standards. The highest ratings (AV-ratings) have been awarded to Todd R. Williams, Marc R. Wolfe, and Gerard J....
Suing School Districts and other Pennsylvania municipal bodies has traditionally been very difficult because of an immunity statute called the “Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act.” It’s a long name for a Pennsylvania law that says that government agencies are...
Pocono music lovers were treated to a wonderful performance this past Friday by the National Youth Orchestra of China (NYO-China) on the campus of East Stroudsburg University (ESU). If you think that “youth orchestra” suggests less...
Bouncing a check is a criminal offense in Pennsylvania. Under 18 Pa.C.S.A. Section 4105(a), “A person commits an offense if he issues or passes a check . . . knowing that it will not be honored by the drawee.” The “drawee” is the bank, credit union or other...
The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals just ruled in Fields v. City of Philadelphia that the 1st Amendment protects your right to film police officers. Judge Ambro wrote the decision and began his opinion by referencing the Rodney King beating by the LA Police Department....
Joseph De Ritis was an Assistant Public Defender for Delaware County, Pennsylvania. To explain a perceived demotion to judges, other attorneys, and county officials, De Ritis circulated a rumor he had heard that he was being punished for taking too many cases to...
John Daubert went to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital for treatment of lower back pain and was billed $46 by a radiologist for X-rays. Daubert’s insurer contributed $21, so Daubert was responsible for the remaining $25. He failed to pay the small bill so his account was...
It goes by many names, but if you own a home and fail to maintain fire and hazard coverage the mortgage lender can “force” insurance upon you. Most all mortgage documents include a clause providing that if the borrower does not maintain fire and hazard (aka...
The Dilemma of Non-Uniform Tax Assessments The only thing certain for Pennsylvanians, at least in 2017, is death and real estate taxes. This adaptation of a famous quote was attributed to one of our greatest Pennsylvania residents, Benjamin Franklin. Amid efforts to...