
Criminal Justice
Prosecutors recommend 3 year prison sentence for Sandy contractor
An Ocean County contractor has admitted to taking money from 19 Superstorm Sandy victims and not finishing repairs, authorities say.
6 years ago
Amid criticism, Pa. law enforcement confiscated $15 million in property in FY 18
This controversial legal mechanism allows police departments and district attorney offices to profit from property seized during arrests, even if a suspect is never convicted
6 years ago
What to do with West Philly’s ‘house of horrors’
Dr. Kermit Gosnell is spending life in prison for killing babies during botched or illegal abortions. What should be done with his former West Philly clinic?
Air Date: September 18, 2019
Listen 15:29Now recovering from multiple bullet wounds, Darrin Lee faces charges of aggravated assault and making terroristic threats.
6 years ago
Rethinking life without parole in Pa.
More than 5,000 people are serving life in prison in Pennsylvania. Now there are efforts to help some of them get a chance at parole.
Air Date: September 17, 2019
Listen 12:53A chance of freedom? New bill could release 1,000 people sentenced to life in Pa. prisons
Under the bill, people convicted of first-degree murder — intentionally killing another person — would be eligible for parole after serving 35 years.
6 years ago
Listen 5:14In era of legal pot, can police search cars based on odor?
Sniff and search is no longer the default for police in some of the 33 states that have legalized marijuana.
6 years ago
Is 50 years a de facto life sentence? Pa. Supreme Court will decide
Pennsylvania’s high court will consider whether it’s unconstitutional to sentence certain juveniles to 50 years behind bars.
6 years ago
Pennsylvania high court asked to throw out death penalty
The Pa. Supreme Court will consider whether the state's death penalty statute amounts to cruel, arbitrary punishment that's too often reserved for black and poor defendants.
6 years ago
DA Krasner fought against civil asset forfeiture. But under his watch, the practice continues
The use of civil asset forfeiture increased slightly in Philadelphia last year, despite the election of District Attorney Larry Krasner, a critic of the practice.
6 years ago
Listen 1:26The first public hearing about the social media database this week was nearly eclipsed by all the other Philly police scandals this summer.
6 years ago
As a formerly incarcerated individual, I am determined to write the narrative instead of letting someone else write it about me.
6 years ago
Criminal justice reform turns to list of problem officers
With no clear guidance from the courts on how that information should be shared, critics have chided prosecutors for failing to keep track of problem officers.
6 years ago
Pa. man gets jail time for trafficking protected turtles from N.J. marshes
A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to a jail term for trafficking protected turtles.
6 years ago
Meek Mill and Pennsylvania parole reform
Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill has been battling with the city’s criminal justice system for 12 years after he was arrested on gun and drug charges when he was 19.
Air Date: August 30, 2019
Listen 49:04