Commonwealth v. Harris (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-031-18)
Police unlawfully stopped and seized defendant based on stale "casing" report. Officers lacked reasonable suspicion when they requested identification and conducted record checks.
Commonwealth
Commonwealth v. Sutherland (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-034-18)
Heroin possession conviction affirmed despite erroneous admission of appearance-based expert testimony, based on substantial admissible evidence of intent to distribute and defendant's own incriminating statements.
Commonwealth v. Brown (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-042-18)
Court upheld witness intimidation conviction, holding District Court had jurisdiction where victim was potential witness. Affirmed conviction and sentencing.
Commonwealth v. Wright (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-040-18)
Murder convictions affirmed. Statements to Canadian authorities admissible despite lack of Miranda warnings. Trial judge properly ordered disclosure of defense mental health expert's report.
Commonwealth v. Gonzalez (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-028-18)
Drug trafficking stop upheld despite insufficient record on informant's prior tip history; substitute chemist testimony permitted under Sixth Amendment confrontation clause.
Commonwealth v. Fredericq (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-029-18)
Reversed in part and affirmed in part. Real-time cell-site location tracking without a warrant violated the defendant's rights, but cocaine in a common attic crawl space remained admissible.
Commonwealth v. Howard (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-036-18)
Conviction of murder in the first degree affirmed where defendant shot coworker following workplace dispute; no error in denying sudden combat instruction, instructing on reasonable provocation, jury composition, or evidentiary rulings.
Sabree v. Commonwealth (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-037-18)
Petition for relief from sentences denied; petitioner failed to show absence of alternative remedies and did not create adequate record.
Commonwealth v. Padua (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-035-18)
Conviction affirmed without remand for resentencing where defendant completed serving sentences during appeal.
Commonwealth v. Proia (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-025-18)
Affirmed conviction for heroin possession. Evidence of prior search admissible to show knowledge; sufficient evidence of constructive possession based on defendant's particular relationship to bedroom location.