Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty To Theft Of FBI Vehicle
It is possible for the courts of Pennsylvania to convict a person of a theft crime even if the stolen property was not in the defendant’s possession when the police found it. There only needs to be compelling evidence that the defendant stole the item or items from the rightful owner. Many theft cases… Read More »
Philadelphia Parents Face Child Endangerment Charges After Leaving Young Children Unsupervised
Young children often imagine that staying home alone will be fun and exciting; movies like Home Alone and books like The Cat in the Hat certainly make it look that way. When kids ask if they can stay home alone, though, parents explain that it is not as much fun as the kids think… Read More »
Parole Officer’s Visit Leads To Arrest Of Two Housemates On Two Different Charges
Being out of prison on parole is a big improvement over being behind bars, and we Pennsylvanians should count our blessings; 16 states do not even have parole. When you are on parole, however, you are under at least as much scrutiny as people who are on probation. Not only can the judge tell… Read More »
Collegeville Electrician Faces Criminal Charges After 64 Homeowners Accuse Him Of Home Contractor Fraud
Consumers’ spending habits changed in 2020 and 2021 in ways economists never could have predicted. Journalists have been saying for years that millennials killed the dinner napkin and the table service chain restaurant, but those avocado toast-loving trendsetters who exist only in the imaginations of the authors of clickbait news articles have nothing on… Read More »
Pittsburgh Man Gets 25 Years In Prison For Attempted Solicitation Of A Minor
It is possible to explain the occurrence of many Internet crimes by the fact that people think that they are a lot more anonymous online than they are. Your alter ego can make threats, offer to buy and sell illegal items, and share illegal content on the dark web and even on social media… Read More »
Two Search Warrants In New Castle Lead To Charges Of Possession With Intent To Deliver
Many drug crimes cases begin with a traffic stop. Police can pull you over if you break a traffic law, even if it is for something minor like having a broken taillight or changing lanes without using a turn signal. Then they can decide that a perfectly ordinary item in your car, such as… Read More »
Is It Worthwhile To Post Bail?
It is a commonly held misconception that you are only allowed to make one phone call from jail. In fact, in an environment where everything you say can and will be used against you, it is to prosecutors’ advantage if you make multiple phone calls and go into details about the events and emotions… Read More »
Laurel Highlands Teacher Faces Charges For Wiretapping After Recording Conversation With Student
Today’s high school students have lived their entire lives in an era where it is easy to record audio and video on their phone. Their parents’ computer files probably contain audio recordings of their first words and preverbal infant vocalizations. Family members have recorded virtually every moment of their lives, from their toddler tantrums… Read More »
Two University Of Pittsburgh Students Face Criminal Charges For Abusing A Corpse
When most people write their wills, they indicate their wishes about the final disposition of their remains. For example, they might wish to be buried next to their parents in a certain cemetery, or they might wish to have their remains cremated and then scattered over Lake Erie. Some choose alkaline hydrolysis, in which… Read More »
Prosecutors Drop Charges Against Teen Wounded At Amusement Park Shooting
The dramatic courtroom scenes where a defendant’s lawyer leaves a witness speechless or leaves the jury with reasonable doubt about the defendant’ guilt are the exception to the rule, but they only account for a fraction of the times that criminal defense lawyers are able to present convincing arguments about a defendant’s innocence, thereby… Read More »
