Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The Supreme Court says it won't hear an appeal from a former Luzerne County judge convicted in the "kids for cash" scandal, meaning his conviction and sentence will stand. Mark Ciavarella Jr. is serving a 28-year prison sentence after his 2011 conviction on federal corruption charges. Prosecutors say Ciavarella and a second judge took millions of dollars from the owner and builder of two for-profit juvenile detention centers where he was sending thousands of young offenders. A jury convicted Ciavarella of racketeering and conspiracy. His former colleague Michael Conahan pleaded guilty to a racketeering charge. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-25) and Speaker Sam Smith (R-66) issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court Ruling on Act 13 Zoning Provisions: The decision made by four Supreme Court Justices today to invalidate a portion of Act 13 of 2012 is incredibly disappointing. While recognizing that a decision of this length will take weeks to fully absorb, we are stunned that four Justices would issue this ruling which will so harshly impact the economic welfare of Pennsylvanians. The majority decision seems to raise significantly more questions than it answers. Chief Justice Castille’s opinion relies in part on inaccurate antidotes and unproven science. The consequences of this decision will likely be the increase of natural gas prices for consumers, while at the same time costing a multitude of jobs in Pennsylvania. It is important to note that this decision resets the clock on zoning prior to the enactment of Act 13, therefore municipalities will contin...

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. – The Robert H. Jackson Center will host Karen Korematsu, Executive Director of the Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education, for “A Conversation with Karen Korematsu” on October 17, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the general public. Ms. Korematsu is the daughter of Fred Korematsu, one of four men who defied Executive Order 9066, which established the American concentration camps, and ordered that Japanese Americans be forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated during World War II. His 1944 landmark case before the United States Supreme Court challenged the constitutionality of the mass incarceration, but the Court upheld his conviction for violating the exclusion order in a 6-3 ruling. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson disagreed strongly with the court, and although in the minority at the time, his dissenting opinion continues to be read today in law schools as a major definition of the rights of the individual versus the powe...

Washington DC- Today U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act: “The Supreme Court made the right decision in striking down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) this morning. As a U.S. Senator representing Pennsylvania, I have read many letters written to me by LGBT Pennsylvanians and their families who want nothing more than equal rights under the law. These letters included deeply personal statements from people across our Commonwealth and had a substantial impact on my decision to support marriage equality. I believe the Supreme Court’s ruling on DOMA was a critical step in strengthening equal rights for all.” The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

HARRISBURG – The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania today announced that its entire Sept. 13 oral argument session, which includes hearings on the state’s second legislative redistricting plan and the voter ID law, will be televised live on the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN). The hearings are being held in the court’s Philadelphia City Hall courtroom. Oral arguments will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Supreme Court’s Philadelphia courtroom, room 456 of City Hall. Strict decorum will be observed. Because of limited seating, observers will be admitted on a first come, first served basis. Once the courtroom is full, those not admitted may wait in line to take a seat as those who were seated leave. The sessions held on the 11th and 12th will be taped for future airing by PCN. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is giving people a new way to access its opinions and rulings online – Twitter. The state's highest court will issue "tweets" to people who sign up to follow the court's activities, and they will alert followers to any orders, new rules and opinions posted by the court and its justices. Supreme Court Justice J. Michael Eakin says the court's use of Twitter "is a logical extension of an ongoing commitment to enhance the delivery of court information and services in an efficient and cost-effective manner." The Court’s Twitter page can be accessed at http://twitter.com/SupremeCtofPA . “Follow Us On Twitter” links also will appear on the state court system’s Web site to take interested parties directly to the page.

HARRISBURG— Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ronald D. Castille today announced an agreement with the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) to allow gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Supreme Court’s oral arguments and to make them available to PCN’s network of more than 3.3 million homes. PCN coverage of Supreme Court sessions is expected to begin on September 13. “My colleagues and I are pleased to open our courtroom to PCN’s statewide audience so they can see how our court operates and follow arguments in cases affecting every citizen of Pennsylvania,” Chief Justice Castille said. The Chief Justice noted that the agreement was reached after PCN had operated successful pilot videotaping programs in both the Commonwealth Court and Superior Court. PCN is a non-profit cable television network created and funded by Pennsylvania's cable television companies. PCN receives no government funding. "Chief Justice Castille and all the justices are to be commended for their ...

HARRISBURG, PA, June 7, 2011—A survey released today by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reveals that a day in court for many individuals charged with a crime no longer means a trip to a courtroom. Instead, defendants often remain in a correctional facility or booking center as judges increasingly use video conferencing technology to conduct preliminary arraignments and other court proceedings, saving taxpayers an estimated $21 million annually. “The use of video conferencing enhances security by reducing the risk of defendant escape or assault on transport officers, judges and anyone in the courtroom; improves court efficiency; and saves tax dollars by reducing court costs associated with defendant transportation,” said Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille. The Supreme Court's criminal procedural rules were amended in 2003 to allow videoconferencing in court procedures not involving a defendant's constitutional rights to confront witnesses. The survey, conducted by the Admin...

The Westboro Baptist Church plans to protest at the funeral of the seven children killed in a fire earlier this week in Perry County, PA. In a news release, the church says the fire was a result of God’s wrath for Pennsylvania because the man who sued the church after they protested at his son’s funeral is from York, Pennsylvania. Albert Snyder’s son, Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, died in 2006 while serving in Iraq. The Supreme Court recently ruled that the church can protest at military and other funerals. U.S. Senator Bob Casey says he's disgusted by the church's plan to protest at the funeral of the fire victims. “Westboro Baptist Church’s repeated exploitation of personal tragedy is disgusting," he said in a news release. "They have protested funerals of troops killed serving their country. Now it is targeting the funeral of children. The protesters should stay in Kansas and pray for the Clouse family." "The U.S. Supreme Court may say that they can c...

The nation’s first Sexual Violence Benchbook designed specifically to guide state district judges in the handling of the crimes of sexual violence is being distributed to more than 540 magisterial districts judges throughout the state, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court announced on Thursday. “The benchbook is a valuable resource for our front-line judges, a comprehensive guide providing ‘best practices’ and information to help district judges understand the intricacies and procedural requirements in these highly sensitive sexual offense cases,” Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice J. Michael Eakin said. Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Jack Panella, the book’s principal author, said, “We addressed the procedural and practical steps of sex offense cases and included detailed information regarding preliminary arraignments and hearings, standard of proof or probable cause to support charges, and the setting of bail and bail conditions to ensure the safety of alleged victims and witnesses.” Th...