Commonwealth v. Scott (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-025-13)
Assault conviction reversed where medical records documenting liver laceration lacked expert testimony explaining the injury's severity and functional impact.
Commonwealth
Commonwealth v. Morales (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-017-13)
Prosecution may introduce prior violent acts evidence of self-defense claimant to rebut victim's violent history evidence, but only with advance notice and careful judicial gatekeeping.
Commonwealth v. Rodriguez (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-022-13)
Aggravated kidnapping conviction vacated where jury instructions omitted the required element that defendant was armed with dangerous weapon.
Commonwealth v. Figueroa (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-021-13)
Grandmother convicted of reckless endangerment of child for preventing immediate medical care after infant suffered serious head trauma.
Commonwealth v. Perella (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-015-13)
Complaint filed within statute of limitations does not toll time for indictment in armed robbery case; indictment must be found and filed within ten years.
Commonwealth v. Housen (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-013-13)
Affirmed convictions for armed assault with intent to murder and multiple violations of abuse prevention order. Separate violation counts are not duplicative when defendant contacted different protected individuals.
Commonwealth v. DiGiambattista (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-014-13)
Appeal of conviction for indecent assault. Defendant's statements to police were voluntary despite detective's emotional appeals and minimization tactics, as long as no false factual claims were made.
Commonwealth v. Valentin V., a juvenile (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-015-13)
Reversed dismissal of delinquency complaints for threatening crime and witness intimidation; Commonwealth need not prove threatened victim actually heard threat when communicated through intermediary.
Commonwealth v. Avram A., a juvenile (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-018-13)
Restitution order affirmed where juvenile admitted to vandalism and agreed to pay restitution. Age alone does not excuse a child from restitution; juveniles can earn money through lawful part-time work.
Commonwealth v. McGowan (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-011-13)
Storage law requiring secured firearms when not under owner's control does not violate Second Amendment rights of self-defense in the home.