Category: Murder
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Com v. VanDivner: Three Part Miller Test Establishes Sanity for Death Penalty
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The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled 6-0 in Commonwealth v. VanDivner that a defendant whose intellectual impairments interfere with his ability to cognitively adapt is mentally incompetent as regards the…
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Com v. Jacoby: Capital Appeal: Introduction of unconstitutionally seized murder weapon evidence was harmless error
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The opening paragraph of this case read like an Alfred Hitchcock screenplay. The police received a call that originated from Monica Schmeyer’s residence . . . When the police arrived,…
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Com v. Packer: DUI on immediate and debilitating intoxicants satisfies mens rea for third-degree murder
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In Commonwealth v. Packer, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules that the choice to drive immediately after and while huffing difluoroethane (DFE) intoxicants that are known to render the user unconscious…