Call Attorney Marni Jo Snyder 24 Hours / 7 Days:

215.515.3360
Marni Jo Snyder Marni Jo Snyder
  • Text
  • Email
  • Directions
  • Home
  • About
    • Firm Overview
    • Attorney Marni Jo Snyder
    • Attorney Brianna Shaw
    • Client Reviews
  • Practice Areas
    • Criminal Defense Attorney in Philadelphia
      • Assault Defense Attorney
      • Drug Possession Attorney
      • DUI Defense Attorney
      • Felony Conviction Defense Attorney
      • Gun Charge Defense Attorney
      • Homicide Defense Lawyer
      • Probation Violation Defense Attorney
      • Rape Defense Lawyer
    • Special Education Law
    • Election Law
    • General Litigation
  • Resources
    • Case Results
    • FAQs
    • News & Press
    • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Free Consultation

Home » Blog » Philly ADA Devalues the Defendant’s Right to Confrontation

Philly ADA Devalues the Defendant’s Right to Confrontation

By: Staff March 17, 2013 no comments Blog
Philly ADA Devalues the Defendant’s Right to Confrontation
By: Staff March 17, 2013
no comments
Share This Post
Categories:
Blog
Tags:
District Attorney, Philadelphia

By Craig McCoy
POSTED: Sunday, March 17, 2013, 6:26 AM

Philadelphia prosecutors are wielding a new tool to combat the city’s “no snitch” culture – using grand juries to shield witnesses from threats by allowing them to testify in secret.

In scores of cases in 2013, the District Attorney’s Office has been deploying a 23-member grand jury to file charges in selected violent crimes – when prosecutors claim witnesses have been intimidated or are likely to face threats.

The use of the indicting grand jury means witnesses in these cases are now testifying in secret and face no cross-examination. Neither suspects nor defense lawyers are allowed in the room.

Charges are leveled by a simple majority vote of the jury. For the targeted defendants, this supersedes the standard practice, in which judges uphold or dismiss charges after preliminary hearings. Those hearings include public testimony by victims and witnesses.

District Attorney Seth Williams was the first county prosecutor in Pennsylvania to impanel such a grand jury after the state Supreme Court joined 48 other states and authorized them last year. Prosecutors in Montgomery County, Chester County, and the Pittsburgh area are exploring the idea.

“The indicting grand jury is a very useful, very powerful, tool for law enforcement and we are going to be using it,” Michael Noone, first assistant district attorney in Chester County, said Friday.

The two Philadelphians on the state Supreme Court – Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille and Justice Seamus P. McCaffery – pushed for the overhaul in response to a 2009 Inquirer investigative series that portrayed criminal courts as plagued by rampant witness fear, a massive number of fugitives, and the early collapse of thousands of cases yearly.

It found that in Philadelphia, defendants charged with murder, rape, robbery, and serious assaults were walking free on all charges in nearly two-thirds of all cases. Among the nation’s most populous counties, the city had the lowest felony conviction rate.

In Philadelphia, prosecutors have used the grand jury to indict about 100 defendants, including an alleged mob soldier charged with murder and a day-care operator accused in the drowning of a child.

Read the full article by Craig McCoy, click here.

Latest Posts

Federal Judge Questions Push to Imprison Trans Activist, Josie Robotin
Police Use DNA, Video Footage, and Phone Records to ID Idaho Murders Suspect
Jenkintown Woman Sentenced for Lighting Police Cars on Fire During George Floyd Protests
Motion to Suppress: Pennsylvania Search Warrant Update

Popular Updates

  • 5 Things to Know About House Arrest in Pennsylvania5 Things to Know About House Arrest in Pennsylvania
  • Ways Police Can Lie to YouWays Police Can Lie to You
  • 6 Things To Know About Drug Possession In Pennsylvania6 Things To Know About Drug Possession In Pennsylvania
  • Guide to Felony vs. Misdemeanor Charges in PennsylvaniaGuide to Felony vs. Misdemeanor Charges in Pennsylvania
  • How Can Mitigation Help Get Me The Lowest Possible Sentence?How Can Mitigation Help Get Me The Lowest Possible Sentence?

Popular Updates

  • 5 Things to Know About House Arrest in Pennsylvania5 Things to Know About House Arrest in Pennsylvania
  • Ways Police Can Lie to YouWays Police Can Lie to You
  • 6 Things To Know About Drug Possession In Pennsylvania6 Things To Know About Drug Possession In Pennsylvania

Contact Information

Law Offices of M.J. Snyder, LLC
1500 Walnut, 7th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Map Directions

Call 24/7: 215-634-9792

Email: info@snyderlawyer.com

Fax: 215-376-6981


Tap To Send Text Message

Legal Notice

This website is for general informational purposes only. The act of sending an e-mail to the Firm or any attorney at the Firm, or submitting a form response or other materials through the website, will not create an attorney-client relationship. The only way to create an attorney-client relationship with the Firm is through a written agreement.Read More

  • Comprehensive Case Review
  • Legal Resources
  • FAQs
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us

© Copyright 2023 Law Offices of M.J. Snyder, LLC | All Rights Reserved.

    Free Case Evaluation

    Receive a phone call from attorney Marni Jo Snyder for a free initial consultation.