by Marc Neff
New Jersey Lawmaker Resigns amid Child Pornography Investigation
New Jersey Assemblyman Neil Cohen resigned from his position on Monday, following allegations of suspected child pornography found on his computer. Colleagues of Cohen’s, who use the same legislative district office, alerted law enforcement officials last week of the alleged images found on Cohen’s computer. According to State Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, the investigation of Cohen began when a...
by Marc Neff
Professional Baseball Player Charged with Felony Assault for Involvement in On-Field Brawl
A brawl which occurred during a minor league baseball game in Ohio last week resulted in criminal charges filed against Peoria Chiefs pitcher, Julio Castillo. In the midst of the 10-minute long, bench-clearing melee, video shows Castillo maliciously throwing a baseball, but does not record where the baseball landed. As it turns out, the baseball struck a spectator, who later required...
by Marc Neff
United States Court of Appeals Upholds Ruling that Child Online Protection Act is Unconstitutional
On July 22, 2008, the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s ruling in ACLU v. MuKasey, striking-down the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) which was passed in 1998; finding that the act is unconstitutional. The case, decided in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will now likely be appealed to the United States Supreme Court. COPA, which was passed nearly a decade ago, has...
by Marc Neff
Pennsylvania’s DUI Laws Apply to More Than Just Motor Vehicles
A Montgomery County, Pennsylvania resident convicted of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol a few years ago, traded in his motor vehicle for a bicycle; to prevent himself from receiving any future DUI related charges. He never anticipated being charged with a second-offense for Driving Under the Influence, while riding his bicycle. On July 4, 2007, he was riding his bicycle from a holiday...
by Marc Neff
Philadelphia Youth Suspected of DUI and Vehicular Homicide Hurts His Defense with MYSPACE Page
Joseph Genovese, Jr., an 18-year old teen from Philadelphia, is suspected of vehicular homicide, resulting in the death of a tourist from St. Louis and severe injuries suffered by her friend last week in South Philadelphia. Police allege that the teen ran a red-light while intoxicated, striking the two victims that were leaving an afternoon Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park. Police became...
by Marc Neff
Philadelphia and New York City Defrauded of Thousands of Dollars
Richard Gottfried, an ex-convict, concealed his criminal past in order to obtain employment as a court-appointed sentencing consultant in both Philadelphia and New York City. He advertised himself as a mitigation specialist, offering his services to criminal defense lawyers, promising to help gather information that would benefit defendants at sentencing hearings. In doing so, he was able to...
by Marc Neff
Philadelphia to Begin Enforcing Law Requiring the Reporting of Lost Firearms
Mayor Nutter and City Counsel plan to announce that enforcement of a controversial gun law will begin in early August of 2008. The law, which requires gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms within 24-hours of discovering their disappearance, was one of a bundle of five laws signed by Mayor Nutter in April. Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan struck down two of the...
by Marc Neff
Mortgage Fraud Increase Leads to FBI Crackdown
The late 1990’s saw the beginning of a housing boom, brought on by Federal programs which made buying a home easier through government-sponsored loan programs; such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This led to a sharp appreciation in housing values throughout the country; however it also led to a growing rate of mortgage fraud. Mortgage fraud continues to top the list of white-collar crimes...
by Marc Neff
MONEY LAUNDERING CASES NOW POSE GREATER BURDEN FOR PROSECUTION
The Supreme Court of the United States decided two cases on June 2, 2008, pertaining to charges of money laundering. In the first case, the charge of money laundering could only be applied to profits from an illegal gambling ring, and not payouts to bettors or employees. In the second case, the Court held that money laundering charges cannot be applied to a person simply hiding a large...
by Marc Neff