In re estate of Betty McKernan Coyle  (February 2, 2012)  Judge Marc F. Lovecchio
Wills and Estates:   Petition to replace executor; petition to list property for sale; dispute over disposition of estate real estate; oil, gas and mineral rights; competing offers from beneficiaries.  (coyle020212L)  (Posted: Feb 3, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Hoffman  (January 31, 2012)  Judge Marc F. Lovecchio
Criminal:   Post conviction relief act petition; sufficiency of facts for guilty plea to rape of impaired victim; denial of petition of counsel to withdraw from representation; supplemental review of record to determine if claims are meritorious.  (hoffman013112L)  (Posted: Feb 3, 2012)

Horner vs. Loyalsock Township School District  (February 2, 2012)  Judge Dudley N. Anderson
Civil:   Motion for interpleader; condemnation payment; attorney's lien for fees; exposure to double or multiple liability; unreasonable delay.  (horner020212a)  (Posted: Feb 2, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Williams  (February 1, 2012)  Judge Nancy L. Butts
Criminal:   Post conviction relief act petition; objection to the dismissal order; claimed misinterpretation of issue raised; ineffective counsel; failure to request transfer to juvenile court.  (Williams020112bt)  (Posted: Feb 2, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Stafford  (February 1, 2012)  Judge Nancy L. Butts
Criminal:   Post conviction relief act petition; timeliness; lack of jurisdiction.  (Stafford020112bt)  (Posted: Feb 2, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Mosley  (January 31, 2012)  Judge Nancy L. Butts
Criminal:   Post conviction relief act petitions; jurisdiction after appeal.  (Mosley013112bt)  (Posted: Feb 2, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Moore  (February 1, 2012)  Judge Nancy L. Butts
Civil:   Motion to suppress and a petition for writ of habeas corpus; drug case; warrantless search of person; reasonable suspicion; mere flight; use of false name; probable cause developed after detention.  (Moore020112bt)  (Posted: Feb 2, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Kennel  (January 31, 2012)  Judge Nancy L. Butts
Criminal:   Petition for habeas corpus; burglary and theft case; prima facie case; circumstantial evidence; time, proximity to the scene of the crime and proximity to the goods stolen; motion to suppress; suggestive photo identification.  (Kennel013112bt)  (Posted: Feb 2, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Copenhaver  (February 1, 2012)  Judge Nancy L. Butts
Criminal:   Post conviction relief act petition; voluntariness of guilty plea; ineffective counsel; waiver of issues not raised on direct appeal.  (Copenhaver020112bt)  (Posted: Feb 1, 2012)

EMA vs. JBA  (January 30, 2012)  Judge Nancy L. Butts
Custody:   Appeal of emergency custody order; notice of hearing time change.  (Alexander013012bt)  (Posted: Jan 31, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Ball  (January 25, 2012)  Judge Marc F. Lovecchio
Criminal:   Commonwealth motion in limine; prisoner assault case; admission of inmate statement with incendiary language; marginal relevance; possibility of prejudice; waiver of disciplinary hearing as tacit admission of guilt; pre-arrest silence.  (ball012512L)  (Posted: Jan 30, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Crain  (January 27, 2012)  Judge Marc F. Lovecchio
Criminal:   Motion to suppress; summary appeal; regulatory checkpoint stop; constitutionality of checkpoint; need for advertisement; requirement of approval by district attorney; substantial compliance with checkpoint guidelines; exceeding administratively approved time.  (Crain012712L)  (Posted: Jan 30, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. McCullough  (January 30, 2012)  Judge Marc F. Lovecchio
Criminal:   Motion to suppress; search of a home; drugs in plain view observed while executing an arrest warrant; lack of privacy interest in the premises rented by another; exigent circumstances; presence of firearms; overbroad warrant.  (mccullough013012L)  (Posted: Jan 30, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Evans  (January 9, 2012)  Judge Marc F. Lovecchio
Criminal:   Guilty plea; interpretation of plea agreement; mutual mistake as to prior record score; applicability of contract law standards; authorization to withdraw guilty plea .  (evans010912L)  (Posted: Jan 30, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Moore  (January 5, 2012)  Judge Marc F. Lovecchio
Criminal:   Post sentence motion; rape of an unconscious or unaware person; weight and sufficiency of evidence; intoxicated victim voluntarily laying down on bed and removing clothing; reconsideration of the sentence; discretion of the court; factors to be considered in sentencing; comparison with sentence of accomplice; consistency of verdict; not guilty verdict on lesser included offense.  (moore010512L)  (Posted: Jan 30, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. McCullough  (May 27, 2011)  Judge Marc F. Lovecchio
Criminal:   Habeas corpus petition; drug case; sufficiency of the evidence; evidence of possession; constructive possession by residents of household where drugs were found; equal access of another.  (mccullough052711L)  (Posted: Jan 30, 2012)

In the interest of KR  (January 25, 2012)  Judge Joy Reynolds McCoy
Adoption:   Petition for voluntary relinquishment of parental rights; adoption of child by step-brother of mother, while mother retains parental rights; in loco parentis status; no intention to live in family unit; legislative intent.  (kr0l12512m)  (Posted: Jan 26, 2012)

Pennsylvania General Energy Company, LLC vs Watson Township Zoning Hearing Board  (January 24, 2012)  Judge Dudley N. Anderson
Administrative Appeal:   Petition to intervene by non-party to appeal of denial of special exception and variances; affect upon legally enforceable interest; right of peaceable enjoyment of property; interest represented by the township.  (pageneralenergy012412a)  (Posted: Jan 25, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. McClam  (January 24, 2012)  Judge Nancy L. Butts
Criminal:   Post conviction relief act petition; eligibility for relief; lack of incarceration.  (McClam012412bt)  (Posted: Jan 25, 2012)

Corbett vs. Supply Source  (January 23, 2012)  Judge Richard A. Gray
Civil:   Petition for preliminary injunction; employment agreement dispute; enforceable restrictive covenant; lack of immediate and irreparable harm; compensable with money damages; knowledgeable party to contract who had assistance of counsel.  (Corbett012312g)  (Posted: Jan 23, 2012)

MS vs. TS  (January 17, 2012)  Judge Joy Reynolds McCoy
Divorce:   Appeal.  (ms11712m)  (Posted: Jan 23, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Huff  (January 20, 2012)  Judge Kenneth D. Brown
Criminal:   Post sentence motion; sufficiency and weight of evidence; counterfeit money order; claimed lack of knowledge.  (detwiler012012br)  (Posted: Jan 20, 2012)

Hess, Rider & Eline vs. Jordan & Reed  (January 18, 2012)  Judge Richard A. Gray
Civil:   Post trial motions; improper entry of judgment for both ejectment and quiet title; binding consentable line.  (Hess011812g)  (Posted: Jan 19, 2012)

Dieffenbach vs. Trevouledes  (January 18, 2012)  Judge Richard A. Gray
Civil:   Motion to allow use of medicals under MCare Act; evidence of medical bills as billed or actually paid; purpose of MCare act to ensure fair legal process and reasonable compensation; possibility of plaintiff's windfall; use of limiting jury instruction; relevance of insurance status of the plaintiff.  (Dieffenbach011812g)  (Posted: Jan 18, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Betts  (January 18, 2012)  Judge Richard A. Gray
Criminal:   Appeal.  (betts011812g)  (Posted: Jan 18, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Patterson  (January 17, 2012)  Judge Nancy L. Butts
Criminal:   Post sentence motion; murder conviction with death penalty imposed; maximum sentence for conspiracy exceeded; denial of challenges to jurors; potential juror agreed to follow judicial instruction; lack of prejudice where not all peremptory challenges used; removal from room of jurors during challenge discussions; grant of challenge to juror who could not agree to death penalty; striking juror based on factors unrelated to race; challenge to juror who had strong connections to the police department; expert testimony relating to the eye witness identification; exclusion of evidence concerning potential jury tampering by witness; prior bad acts and other crimes evidence; hearsay evidence; statements offered for effect on defendant and not for their truth; prejudicial closing argument; jury consideration of written instructions; re-instructing the jury; testimony of witness to conclusions concerning a conspiracy; evidence of defendant's incarceration at trial; adequacy of standard jury instruction during death penalty phase; waiver of objections to the closing argument; discretion to allow witnesses.  (Patterson011712bt)  (Posted: Jan 17, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Nottingham  (January 13, 2012)  Judge Nancy L. Butts
Criminal:   Suppression motion; accident involving intoxicated driver; investigatory questioning; lack of Miranda warnings; custodial questioning.  (Nottingham011312bt)  (Posted: Jan 14, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Cupp  (January 12, 2012)  Judge Dudley N. Anderson
Criminal:   Appeal nunc pro tunc; probation revocation; discretion of the court; consideration of age, mental health history and rehabilitative needs.  (cupp011212a)  (Posted: Jan 13, 2012)

Dieffenbach vs. Trevouledes  (January 12, 2012)  Judge Richard A. Gray
Civil:   Motion in limine to prohibit testimony about the defendant's subjective state of mind and character; error of judgment charge.  (Dieffenbach011212g)  (Posted: Jan 12, 2012)

Commonwealth vs. Taylor  (January 12, 2012)  Judge Nancy L. Butts
Criminal:   Suppression motion; reasonable suspicion to initiate an investigatory detention; legality of arrest; independent basis for search warrant.  (Taylor011212bt)  (Posted: Jan 12, 2012)