Justia Pennsylvania Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

A woman was sexually abused by the defendant when she was fourteen years old, with the abuse occurring in 2009 or 2010. Years later, in 2018, she filed her first petition for a protective order under Pennsylvania’s Protection of Victims of Sexual Violence or Intimidation Act after learning that the defendant was attempting to locate her, contact her through mutual friends, and disrupt her marriage. The court granted a three-year protective order, which expired in January 2021. In June 2022, the woman unexpectedly encountered the defendant at a flea market, which caused her significant fear and anxiety. She subsequently filed a second petition for a protective order in August 2022.The Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas held a hearing and entered a new protective order in her favor, concluding that her right to relief under the Act accrued from the June 2022 encounter, not from the original abuse. The court rejected the defendant’s argument that her claim was barred by the Act’s six-year statute of limitations, reasoning that the statute began to run with the new act that placed her at continued risk. On appeal, a three-judge panel of the Superior Court reversed, holding that the statute of limitations began at the time of the original abuse, and thus the woman’s 2022 petition was untimely. The Superior Court reasoned that the cause of action accrued when the sexual violence occurred, not when a continued risk of harm later manifested.The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reviewed the case and reversed the Superior Court's decision. The Court held that, consistent with general principles governing statutes of limitations, the six-year period begins to run from the date of the act or circumstance that demonstrates the plaintiff is at a continued risk of harm from the defendant, as this is when the cause of action accrues under the Act. The matter was remanded for further proceedings on the remaining issues. View "Weatherholtz v. McKelvey" on Justia Law

A private utility company entered into an agreement to purchase a township’s wastewater system, which served nearly 3,900 residents. The parties used a statutory procedure to determine the fair market value of the system’s assets, arriving at a purchase price of approximately $54.9 million. The utility, already certified to provide water and wastewater services in other areas, applied to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) for a Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) to acquire and operate the system. As part of the process, the utility agreed to maintain current rates for three years.An administrative law judge at the PUC recommended denying the utility’s application, finding that the township was already providing safe, reliable, and financially viable service, and that the acquisition would result in substantial rate increases for customers, outweighing any potential benefits. The PUC, however, rejected the judge’s recommendation and granted the CPC, finding that the utility’s expertise, financial resources, and the policy goal of consolidating systems provided substantial affirmative public benefits. The PUC also found that potential rate increases were not certain harms, as increases might occur regardless of the transaction and could be mitigated over a larger customer base.On appeal, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania reversed the PUC’s decision, holding that benefits arising from the acquiring utility’s size and fitness were not sufficient to satisfy the statutory standard for public benefit, particularly when the existing service was adequate and the transaction would likely cause rate increases. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reversed the Commonwealth Court’s decision, holding that the PUC could consider benefits derived from the utility’s size and expertise in its affirmative public benefits analysis and that the lower court erred by reweighing the evidence and categorizing potential rate increases as “known harms.” The case was remanded for further proceedings on whether the PUC’s findings were supported by substantial evidence. View "Consum Adv v. PUC" on Justia Law

A woman was kidnapped and raped in her rural home after her husband left for work. The perpetrator bound, gagged, and blindfolded her, then drove her to another location where he assaulted her. After being released in a field, the victim contacted police, who collected DNA evidence but initially could not identify the assailant. Investigators suspected the crime was premeditated due to the remote location, timing, and other factors, and obtained a “reverse keyword search warrant” for Google records of searches related to the victim’s name and address. Google identified two searches for the victim’s address made just before the attack, both linked to the same IP address, which was traced to John Edward Kurtz. Surveillance and DNA from a discarded cigarette butt confirmed the match, and Kurtz confessed to this and other assaults.Kurtz moved to suppress the evidence from the Google search, arguing the search warrant lacked probable cause individualized to him and that his internet search records were protected by a reasonable expectation of privacy. The Northumberland County Court of Common Pleas denied the motion, and a jury found Kurtz guilty on all charges. He was sentenced to a lengthy prison term. On appeal, the Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed, holding that Kurtz lacked an expectation of privacy in his Google search records or IP address, reasoning that he voluntarily provided this information to a third party and had agreed to Google’s privacy policy allowing cooperation with law enforcement.The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reviewed whether individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their unprotected internet search queries and IP addresses. The court held that the average user does not have such an expectation, as using a search engine like Google involves voluntarily providing information to a third party with clear notice that the information may be shared, including with law enforcement. The judgment below was affirmed. View "Commonwealth v. Kurtz" on Justia Law

This dispute involves two parcels of undeveloped land in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, owned by a nonprofit conservation organization. The parcels abut land owned by two individuals who operate an excavation and topsoil business. The individuals claimed to have used the parcels exclusively for their business activities for over 40 years, including excavation, storage, and staging, and to have controlled access to the lots with locked gates. In 2018, they initiated a quiet title action to acquire title to the parcels by adverse possession. The record title owner, the conservation organization, contested the action, asserting the individuals were not in legal possession and presenting aerial photographs to show the land remained in its natural state.The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County held an evidentiary hearing to determine whether the individuals satisfied the jurisdictional prerequisite of possession necessary for a quiet title action. The court found the individuals were in possession of at least a portion of both parcels, based largely on evidence of their use and control of access, and directed the record owner to file an ejectment action. The owner appealed, and the Superior Court of Pennsylvania affirmed, agreeing with the trial court’s finding that the individuals had demonstrated sufficient possession to proceed with the quiet title action.The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reviewed whether the presumption of possession by the record title holder could be overcome and whether a stricter standard for possession applied due to the parcels’ character as woodlands. The Court held that a record title owner’s presumption of possession may be rebutted by credible evidence of another party’s dominion and control over the property. The stricter standard for possession of woodlands is not relevant at this preliminary stage. The order compelling the record owner to file an ejectment action was affirmed. View "Duncan v. Chartiers Nature Conservancy, Aplt." on Justia Law

A school board in Pennsylvania approved a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with a teachers’ association during a meeting, even though this agreement was not included on the agenda published at least 24 hours before the meeting, as required by the state’s Sunshine Act. The board justified the late addition by explaining that the teachers’ association had only approved the CBA earlier that same day. The board amended the agenda during the meeting by majority vote to include the CBA, then voted to approve it. A local resident challenged this action, arguing that it violated the Sunshine Act’s notice requirements.The Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas consolidated the actions and granted summary judgment in favor of the school district, finding that the board’s majority vote to amend the agenda during the meeting satisfied the statutory exception permitting such changes. On appeal, the Commonwealth Court reversed in part, interpreting Section 712.1 of the Sunshine Act to provide only three substantive exceptions to the 24-hour notice rule and treating the “majority vote” provision as a mere procedural mechanism, not a standalone exception. The Commonwealth Court concluded that the board’s action violated the Act.The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reviewed whether Section 712.1 provides four independent exceptions to the notice requirement, or only three. The court held that the statute’s plain language creates four separate exceptions, including the majority vote provision, which allows an agency to add items to the agenda during a meeting by majority vote and subsequently take official action. Accordingly, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reversed the Commonwealth Court’s decision and reinstated the trial court’s order granting summary judgment to the school district, holding that the board’s actions complied with the Sunshine Act. View "Coleman v. Parkland School District" on Justia Law

A man brought a civil lawsuit against the Philadelphia District Attorney and several assistant district attorneys, alleging they violated Pennsylvania’s Wiretap Act by using and disclosing surreptitiously recorded conversations between him and his ex-wife during a criminal prosecution. The recordings, made by his ex-wife without his knowledge during their marriage, were provided to the police and used by prosecutors in their attempt to bring criminal charges against him. The criminal court ultimately found the recordings were obtained in violation of the Wiretap Act and barred their use as evidence, leading to the dismissal or withdrawal of all charges.In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, the prosecutors raised the defense of high public official immunity in response to the civil suit for damages under the Wiretap Act. The trial court agreed, holding that the General Assembly had only waived sovereign immunity in the Wiretap Act, not high public official immunity, and dismissed the claims with prejudice. On appeal, the Commonwealth Court affirmed, reasoning that high public official immunity is a broad, absolute bar to civil suits for damages arising from actions taken within the scope of official duties, and that the Wiretap Act did not expressly waive this immunity for district attorneys or their assistants.The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reviewed whether law enforcement officers, specifically district attorneys and assistant district attorneys, are immune from civil suits for damages under Section 5725 of the Wiretap Act. The court held that, while the Act expressly waives sovereign immunity, it does not specifically and explicitly waive high public official immunity. Therefore, district attorneys and assistant district attorneys retain high public official immunity from civil suits for damages under the Wiretap Act when acting within the scope of their official duties. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania affirmed the order of the Commonwealth Court. View "Winig v. Office of DA of Philadelphia" on Justia Law

Four police officers entered a Pittsburgh rowhouse searching for a missing person. Inside, Vincent Smith, the appellant, started a fire that endangered the officers, who escaped unharmed. Smith was rescued and treated for smoke inhalation. The bodies of two men, previously killed by Smith, were found in the residence. Smith admitted to the killings and to starting the fire in a suicide attempt. He was charged with two counts of voluntary manslaughter and four counts of arson endangering persons (AEP), one for each officer present.Smith pled guilty to all charges in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. The trial court sentenced him to consecutive terms for each manslaughter and each AEP count, totaling 26 to 52 years. Smith challenged the legality of receiving multiple sentences for AEP based on a single act of arson that endangered multiple people. The trial court, relying on Commonwealth v. Frisbie, held that each endangered person constituted a separate unit of prosecution under the AEP statute.Smith appealed to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, arguing that only one sentence for AEP should be imposed per arson, regardless of the number of people endangered. Initially, a panel vacated three AEP sentences, but after reargument, the en banc Superior Court affirmed the trial court, holding that the unit of prosecution was each endangered person.The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reviewed the case to determine the correct unit of prosecution for AEP under 18 Pa.C.S. § 3301(a)(1)(i). The Court held that the unit of prosecution is each act of arson, not each person endangered. It found the statute ambiguous and applied the rule of lenity, strictly construing it in favor of the defendant. The Supreme Court reversed the Superior Court’s decision, vacated Smith’s sentence, and remanded for resentencing consistent with its holding. View "Commonwealth v. Smith" on Justia Law

The appellant was convicted of first-degree murder for killing his estranged wife’s 14-month-old son, as well as attempted murder and aggravated assault of his estranged wife’s roommate. The prosecution’s case relied heavily on the testimony of a police officer who witnessed the events. At trial, the appellant represented himself and claimed innocence, alleging a police cover-up. During jury selection, one juror initially indicated on a questionnaire that a family member had been charged with a crime, but then changed the answer to “no.” Decades later, the appellant’s counsel discovered that this juror’s nephew had, in fact, been charged with attempted murder of an infant before the trial, a fact not disclosed during voir dire.The Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin County dismissed the appellant’s third Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA) petition as untimely, reasoning that the information about the juror’s nephew was available in a 2002 news article and thus not a “new fact.” The court concluded that the appellant failed to show why he could not have discovered this information earlier, and therefore did not meet the requirements for the previously unknown fact exception to the PCRA’s time bar.The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reviewed the dismissal de novo. It held that the lower court erred by applying a presumption that the appellant knew of the juror’s family connection simply because the information was publicly available. The Supreme Court clarified that the relevant inquiry is whether the appellant actually knew or could have discovered the fact through reasonable diligence, not whether the information was in the public record. The Court vacated the order dismissing the petition and remanded for further proceedings, holding that the appellant was entitled to a hearing to establish whether he met the requirements for the newly discovered fact exception. View "Commonwealth v. Blakeney" on Justia Law

An employee of a roofing subcontractor was severely injured after falling through an uncovered hole while working on a library roof replacement project. The general contractor had contracted with the property owner to perform the roof work and then subcontracted the roofing portion to the injured worker’s employer. The injured worker received workers’ compensation benefits from his direct employer and subsequently filed a negligence lawsuit against the general contractor, seeking damages for his injuries.In the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, the general contractor asserted statutory employer immunity under Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation Act, arguing it was immune from tort liability as a statutory employer. The trial court struck the general contractor’s answer and new matter as untimely and granted the injured worker’s motion to preclude the statutory employer defense at trial. The case proceeded to a jury, which found the general contractor negligent and awarded $5 million to the plaintiff. The trial court denied the general contractor’s post-trial motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict.On appeal, the Pennsylvania Superior Court vacated the trial court’s judgment and remanded for entry of judgment in favor of the general contractor. The Superior Court held that the general contractor was the injured worker’s statutory employer and thus immune from tort liability, finding all elements of the statutory employer test satisfied and that the defense was not waivable.The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reviewed whether to overrule prior precedent (Fonner and LeFlar) regarding statutory employer immunity and waiver, and whether the Superior Court properly applied the statutory employer test. The Supreme Court reaffirmed its prior holdings that a general contractor’s statutory employer immunity does not depend on actual payment of workers’ compensation benefits and that the defense is jurisdictional and not waivable. However, it found the Superior Court erred by exceeding its scope of review and remanded the case to the trial court to determine, after appropriate proceedings, whether the general contractor satisfied the disputed elements of the statutory employer test. View "Yoder v. McCarthy Const." on Justia Law

The case concerns an individual who was arrested twice for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) in Pennsylvania. The first arrest led to charges, while the second arrest did not result in charges until several months later. In the interim, the individual applied for admission to the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program for the first DUI. The ARD application required disclosure of prior convictions, prior ARD participation, and any pending criminal charges, but did not ask about uncharged arrests. The applicant truthfully stated he had no pending charges at the time of the application.After the applicant was admitted to the ARD program, the Commonwealth learned of the second DUI charge and moved to revoke his ARD participation, arguing he violated program conditions by not disclosing the prior arrest. The Adams County Court of Common Pleas revoked his ARD participation, initially citing the new charges and later referencing “deception by omission.” The applicant was subsequently convicted and sentenced for the first DUI. The Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed, reasoning that failing to disclose the second arrest, even if uncharged, undermined the spirit and intent of the ARD program, and relied on prior cases where omissions or misrepresentations justified ARD revocation.The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reviewed the case and held that revocation of ARD participation must be based on violation of a specified condition of the program, not on implied conditions or the general “spirit” of the program. The Court found that the applicant answered all questions on the ARD application truthfully, as there were no pending charges at the time, and the application did not require disclosure of uncharged arrests. Therefore, the trial court erred in revoking ARD participation, and the Supreme Court reversed the Superior Court’s decision. View "Commonwealth v. Jenkins" on Justia Law