Last year this blog posted about Governor Rendell’s refusal to expand the Castle Doctrine outside an actor’s residence. On June 20, 2011, the Pennsylvania Senate gave Governor Corbett another crack at the law.  Senate Bill 273 addresses the law surrounding justifiable self-defense. The current self-defense law imposes a duty to retreat, if retreat can safely…

When Allegheny County launches Pennsylvania’s first Sex Offender Court later this month, the rest of the state will be watching.  The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania chose Allegheny County (which includes Pittsburgh) as the test site for a new specialized court focused on Megan’s Law offenses and their related court proceedings.  If this model is successful,…