By Tim Lambert | Editor-in-chief
“Every response must begin with a recognition that focuses on the person at the center of it all-a person who deserves to be heard, supported, protected, and treated with dignity at every step. That includes ensuring that sexual assault kits that are collected are appropriately tracked and accounted for.” — State Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen, on sexual assault evidence kit testing that’s being piloted in three counties.
A good Wednesday morning to you and a farewell to September. Let’s hope the Phillies can even their National League Wild Card Series with Atlanta this afternoon, after dropping Game 1 by a 5-3 tally. Since it’s a three-game set, Philadelphia finds itself in a must-win situation.
On this day in 1777, the city of York became the home of the Continental Congress after lawmakers left Philadelphia before it was captured by British forces. While in the White Rose City, members passed the Articles of Confederation. As a result, York became the country’s first capital and remained so until June 27, 1778.
Thanks for starting your day with us. As always, we deeply appreciate you reading, sharing and supporting our work. -- Tim
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania chamber at the Capitol in Harrisburg. (Photo from the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania)
By Ian Karbal
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to address the question of whether their March decision finding mandatory life sentences for second-degree murder unconstitutional should apply in the cases of those already sentenced.
On Tuesday, the court granted an appeal petition filed on behalf of Jerome Coffey by the Abolitionist Law Center in April. Coffey was convicted in 1994, and has spent more than 30 years incarcerated. The Abolitionist Law Center claims no physical evidence linked him to the crime, that a key prosecution witness recanted a statement, and that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance.
Second degree murder, also known as felony murder, is a charge brought when a victim dies during the commission of another felony, even if the perpetrator never intended or planned to kill. Until recently, the charge came with a mandatory life without parole sentence, regardless of the circumstances of the crime or whether the person sentenced was directly responsible for the victim’s death.
Sexual assault examination kit. (Photo from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance)
By Peter Hall
A system to track testing of sexual assault evidence kits is being piloted in three Pennsylvania counties ahead of a statewide roll out later this year.
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) is working with Erie, Lancaster, and York counties to ensure the system is working as intended and ready to launch statewide in December, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who serves as chair of the PCCD, said.
The system is being launched about two years after Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Act 122 of 2024, which required the PCCD and Pennsylvania State Police to establish an online tracking system to allow sexual assault survivors to track evidence processing at each step.
Paul Kennedy, with Good Intent Hose Company No. 1, speaks at a Sept. 28 press conference on charitable gaming while Jennifer Jarvis, with Lancaster Snow Angels, looks on. (Photo by Whitney Downard/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
By Whitney Downard
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the bingo nights, cookouts and block parties used to fundraise for volunteer firefighter gear and equipment, the Good Intent Hose Company No. 1 turned to online raffles to close the gap.
“What our supporters helped us accomplish over these past six years is absolutely incredible. Because of their support, we were able to purchase three pieces of fire apparatus … we were able to purchase 20 sets of structural turnout gear without the use of grants,” said Paul Kennedy, the organization’s president emeritus and public information officer. “We contributed to countless other community needs.”
That changed in August, when Good Intent suspended online raffles after learning it violated state law.
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The U.S. Department of Justice logo is displayed on a speaker’s podium. (Photo by Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight)
By Carter Walker of Votebeat
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged four additional noncitizens with crimes related to registering to vote and voting in the 2022 or 2024 elections in Pennsylvania.
The charges come amid a nationwide crackdown by President Donald Trump’s administration on alleged noncitizen voters just weeks before the midterm elections.
“Our sovereignty as a nation belongs to the American people and no one else,” David Metcalf, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, said in a press release Thursday evening. “Anyone, including illegal aliens, who votes illegally in our elections will be prosecuted for corrupting our democracy.”
Three of the four defendants reside in Philadelphia. Sade Guppy, 37, and Eduardo Gallardo Maldonado, 66, were charged with voting in the November 2022 and November 2024 elections, respectively. Cliff Sanon, 39, is charged with one count of submitting a fraudulent voter registration application in 2026, but the department alleges that he also voted in November 2022.
TODAY IN THE CAPITAL-STAR
Trump thwarted in hunt for rare noncitizen voters as midterms near: Five weeks before Election Day, President Donald Trump’s sprawling effort to identify and remove noncitizen voters hasn’t produced the kind of large purges that could meaningfully affect the midterm elections.
Native American tribes no longer want to join Chesapeake Bay group: Seven federally recognized Native American tribes are ending their bid to formally join the Chesapeake Bay cleanup, saying they have been disappointed by the response from Bay Program leaders.
Governors pledge to oppose federal overreach: Democratic and Republican governors say they will more aggressively push back on federal overreach regardless of which party controls Washington. The bipartisan National Governors Association for the first time in over a decade updated its internal principles on federalism — the system of power sharing between Washington, D.C., and the states.
Trump used impossible foreign labor standards as tariff workaround: Small businesses will once again challenge President Donald Trump’s tariffs in federal court this week as they continue to feel the squeeze of the administration’s roller coaster policy on import taxes.
ICYMI
Pa. House panels hear testimony on automatic license plate cameras: Amid a growing national backlash against automatic license plate reader technology and its potential for misuse, Pennsylvania lawmakers grilled law enforcement, tech and civil liberties advocates about how to ensure it isn’t abused.
Pa.’s online age verification bill would restrict access to adult content: A bill advanced through the state Senate Judiciary committee that would require Pennsylvanians to provide proof of their age, such as state identification documents, when accessing websites with at least one-third of their material consisting of adult content.
Pa. Senate Majority Leader weighs in on elections and skill games: With just five weeks until Election Day, Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) isn’t worried that his party will lose control of the legislature’s upper chamber. Instead, despite warnings of a “blue wave” in November, he believes Senate Republicans will widen their four-seat edge.
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