Author Archives: Gary Gerson
Coach accused of having sex with student contacts her
A 33-year-old former Pine-Richland High School basketball coach has been sent to jail after he made contact with a female student with whom he was accused of having sex. The man was arrested in October for engaging in sexual acts with a minor and corruption of a minor. Sources say the relationship between the… Read More »
Bond may be revoked for former Plum teacher
A slow drive past his alleged victim’s house just before Christmas could land a former Plum High School teacher back in jail. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office is looking to revoke the man’s bond after a neighbor said she saw him on the girl’s street. The 38-year-old man is awaiting trial on charges… Read More »
Sexting scandal among students at North Allegheny
It seems not a day goes by that we don’t hear about some new sexting scandal among some high-ranking authority figure. But what happens when these messages are sent between high school students? This week, the McCandless Police Department is investigating whether or not students at North Allegheny committed sexual misconduct. NA’s acting superintendent… Read More »
Appeals court rules defendant cannot be cross-examined after allocution
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled that people who are convicted of federal crimes have a right to make a final statement before the judge sentences them without being cross-examined by prosecutors. This opinion by the 3rd United States Circuit Court of Appeals is based on a rule that governs criminal procedures in… Read More »
Ex-officer stands trial for murder of friend
Two friends were drinking in a bar in Bloomfield when a fight began. Within seconds, one man was dead and an ex-cop from the Pittsburgh Police sat back down at his seat and waited for police to arrive. The ex-cop’s murder trial will began last week, as the shooter is being charged with killing… Read More »
New bill for mentally ill should help prison overpopulation
In a recent report, the Government Accountability Office found 112 federal programs meant to support people with serious mental illness in 2013. Overcrowding and staff shortage at mental health facilities in the 60s contributed to views that hospitals were ineffective. It also drove communal thinking that care should be community-based. Abuse and neglect at… Read More »
The legality of wiretapping
Someone recently asked me a question about “wiretapping” in regards to a potential criminal defense case against them. Wiretapping techniques may be a good way for the police to make their case; but in some cases, the wiretaps are either inappropriately used or improperly granted. Such circumstances can lead to an accused individual being let… Read More »
Have you been arrested for violent crimes?
Violent crimes, like arson and aggravated assault, often end in lengthy jail sentences, years of probation, and hundreds of thousands in restitution; this is not even to mention the impact a guilty charge it can have on people as they move forward with their lives. Trouble finding gainful employment and a place to live… Read More »
Do you believe your arrest came by way of entrapment?
"Entrapment" is a solid defense to a criminal charge. Basically, entrapment means that a police officer or government official, usually undercover, has convinced a person to commit a crime that they most likely would not have committed in any other scenario. In my more than twenty-five years as a Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney, I… Read More »
Pittsburgh college student attorney
With winter break finishing soon and college kids back in class, I will start receiving a lot of emails and calls about underage drinking, public nuisance charges, and juvenile crimes. One question that seems to be coming in much more frequently now than in the past is that of indecent exposure as it relates… Read More »
