Self-Defense Is Legal in Pennsylvania

And the DAs seem to hate that. 2 found not guilty in killing of man outside Allentown supermarket

Oh, and family of dead people don't like self-defense either.

Following a five-day trial, Adalberto Morales Ortiz, 48, of Bethlehem and his nephew, Axel Gadiel Fontanez-Morales, 24, of Whitehall Township, both were acquitted March 13 of homicide in the May 14, 2023, killing of Jose Tirado-Ramirez. Attorneys for the men contended that they acted in self-defense during the shooting that happened outside the C-Town Market on Tilghman Street.

“The jury looked at this case and saw that Adalberto and his nephew were the people who were the true victims in this case,” Morales-Ortiz’s attorney, Stephen Patrizio, said Thursday. “Justice was done by this jury.”

As for the family, click thru for those reactions. Click thru for all of the details; there are quite a few around this case.

The whole thing, whole thing, from the arrest, to the 2 men spending more than a year in jail awaiting trial, to the trial seems to have been the result of rushed police actions, or that it what one of the defense attorneys had to say, and it sounds like it might be the case.

I looked, but I can't find any info on how long the jury deliberated.

Self-defense is a human right, but these guys got a close-up look at "The Process is the Punishment" in the criminal justice system.

Another Failure of the Victim-Selection Process

WJAC Western Pennsylvania brings us the story. PSP: Intruder shot & killed by homeowner during alleged break-in at Somerset Twp. home

Police say the homeowner explained that he was awakened to the sound of banging on his kitchen window, where he reportedly discovered a male intruder trying to get into the home.

The would-be intruder was warned. He ignored the warning. The homeowner shot him in the head.

According to PSP, the homeowner was detained, however, a preliminary investigation appears to corroborate the resident's claims that he acted in self-defense.

Somerset County, Pennsylvania is about 45 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Self-defense is a human right, and it appears to be a legal right in Pennsylvania.

Self-Defense Seems To Be Legal in Pennsylvania

Which is always a bit of a shock. Man who fired shot that killed man, injured 2 others after bar fight in Allentown will not be charged, acted in self-defense, DA says | Allentown Area | WFMZ

The Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office says a man who fired shots at three people, killing one and injuring two others, at a bar in Allentown last year was justified in his use of force.

The man will not be charged, because he was acting in self-defense and the defense of others.

The incident in question took place on December 19th, so considering that very little happens over the holidays, I suppose this isn't a bad time frame for a DA in Pennsylvania.

The man who fired the shots at the three people during the fight reasonably believed that the use of deadly force was imminently necessary to protect the person from the risk of death or serious bodily injury, the DA’s office said.

Self-defense is a human right.

Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0

He suffered from a failure of the victim-selection process. Warrant issued for burglary suspect shot by New Castle homeowner

Michael Boice broke into a home in New Castle, Pennsylvania.

Boice, who was shot in the leg during the break-in, is still hospitalized in Ohio. Police say he will be extradited to Pennsylvania once discharged.

New Castle is about a 55 mile drive north of Pittsburgh, and about a 100 mile drive southeast of Cleveland. It is about a 15 or 20 mile drive east of Youngstown, Ohio.

No charges are expected for the homeowner, because, at least away from the Blue Cities in Pennsylvania, it seems that self-defense is legal, and it even seems to be catching on the cities.

Self-Defense Is Legal in Pennsylvania

From WPXI by way of Yahoo News: Neighbors stunned after burglary suspect was shot by homeowner in New Castle

Pretty typical self-defense story. Guy breaks into house, gets shot by homeowner, cops show up, and the EMTs take him to a local hosptial.

Neighbors were shocked. Well, okay "stunned."

The neighbor didn’t want to be on camera, but said her street is always quiet.

“I’ve been here for four years, and this is a very quiet street,” she told Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek. “The kids go out and play every day, I mean, they’re always nonstop running around outside. It’s very quiet, nobody bothers you, I mean, the kids go to church right up the street, so that was just very alarming when I heard that. It was just like...Wow.”

The guy who got shot is still in the hospital, and cops expect him to be there for a while.

Right now, police do not expect charges to be filed against the homeowner.

Self-defense is a human right, and it seems like it is also a legal right in Pennsylvania.

Self-Defense Is Legal in Pennsylvania

Though it took the DA quite a while to reach that conclusion. 'Use of force was justified' Johnstown shooting ruled self defense, no charges filed

More specifically, Neugebauer added that Tillman exited one of the Solomon Homes buildings, encountered the other man, presented a weapon and fired said weapon in the direction of the man. The man never presented a weapon of any kind.

In response, a bystander got out of their vehicle and used deadly force in defense of the other man by firing their weapon at, and ultimately striking, Tillman, according to Neugebauer.

Johnstown, Pennsylvania is about a 70 mile drive east of Pittsburgh.

It is hard to say why this took so long, except that District Attorneys in general, and even more so in Blue States, don't like self-defense. I suppose they may have been waiting on final reports from somewhere.

Self-Defense in Pennsylvania

It seems to becoming more of a thing in that state. Homeowner shoots suspected burglar during Dauphin County home invasion

A homeowner shot a burglar during a home invasion in Susquehanna Township Sunday night, according to police.

Susquehanna Township, in Dauphin County is a bit more than a 100 mile drive west of Philadelphia.

Cops found the guy who got shot, applied first aid, and had him transported to a local hospital.

He is currently charged with two felony county related to burglary and one misdemeanor count of loitering and prowling at nighttime.

The investigation is still proceeding, but they did not arrest the homeowner.

Self-defense is a human right, and it might be your legal right in Pennsylvania.

A Failure of the Victim-Selection Process

This sounds like self-defense to me. Man killed in shooting near Sayre identified | WNEP

Kraus threw Hancock to the floor and repeatedly punched him and hit him with a picture frame.

Hancock said he believed that Kraus was at that point intending to kill him. [Hancock], who has a concealed firearm license and was carrying a concealed handgun, shot Kraus twice in self-defense during the attack.

Witnesses said the attack was unprovoked.

Kraus died later at a hospital.

Bradford County, Pennsylvania is about a 180 mile drive north of Philadelphia or about 170 mile drive southeast of Buffalo, New York.

As usual, the journalist seems unclear on the difference between homicide and murder. Homicide is the ending of one human life by another human. While murder is always a crime, homicide may be justified, as self-defense.

And it seems that self-defense is legal in Pennsylvania. Police: Fatal Athens Township Shooting Was Self Defense

In a statement released by the Athens Township Police Department on Monday, 57-year-old David Hancock shot 59-year-old John J. Kraus after Kraus attacked him without provocation, using his fists and later a picture frame to bloody Hancock.

Hancock suffered a serious head injury as a result of the incident, according to police.

Click thru for more details. This was a domestic violence incident. There is also a statement of Pennsylvania law on self-defense.

Self-defense is a human right.

Was This a Mini Crime Spree?

A recent West Virginia shooting has a complicated backstory. Deputies: Man shot by Kanawha County homeowner identified as suspect in stolen vehicle pursuit

There was little information available when this story first came out. (See the link below.) Now there is more info.

A West Virginia homeowner was working on a home that was not his primary residence, when he was accosted by an intruder armed with a knife and a baseball bat. He ended up shooting the intruder.

Two days before the shooting occurred, there was this.

The KCSO says investigators have discovered that Duff was also the suspect in a high-speed pursuit on Aug. 6 involving a stolen vehicle from Pennsylvania.

Deputies say the pursuit went through Cross Lanes into Putnam County and back to Kanawha County before the vehicle crashed on Poca River Road, which is near Lick Branch Road. The suspect ran into the woods, and deputies and K-9 units were not able to locate him.

Duff did not survive the encounter with the homeowner.

The original post I published on this incident is Don't Bring a Baseball Bat to a Gunfight.

Self-defense is a human right.

Don't Bring a Baseball Bat to a Gunfight

The DA made this determination in a little more than 2 weeks, which is amazingly fast by the standards of most jurisdictions. Allentown road rage shooting determined to be self-defense, no charges to be filed - 6abc Philadelphia

The incident took place on July 6th. Allentown, PA is roughly a 60 mile drive north of Philadelphia.

The DA's office says surveillance footage showed 35-year-old Tamir Johnson forcing another driver to the curb.

That's when Johnson reportedly got out of his vehicle and was swinging a baseball bat at the other car.

What actually precipitated the incident we don't know. We only know how it ended.

Tamir Johnson was shot once in the torso by the driver of the car he forced to the side of the road, after he hit the driver's door with the bat. After the shooting, the driver drove two blocks and then called police.

The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office ruled the shooting was self-defense and no charges will be filed.

It isn't surprising that this was ruled self-defense, given that there is video evidence, but investigations of this nature, and determinations of self-defense can take longer in Texas or Florida. So hats off to Gavin P Holihan, the DA of Lehigh County.

Self-defense is a human right, and this is clearly a case of Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0.

Black Bear Encounter in Pennsylvania

I wonder what the gun-hating part of the Left would say he should have done? Tried to reason with it? Homeowner shoots bear in self-defense incident

A homeowner in McKean County killed a black bear in what is being labeled a self-defense shooting of the animal that would not leave their yard.

They tried to scare the bear off; it only retreated to the edge of their yard, and then it returned 20 minutes later, got to within 30 feet, and was acting aggressively. The resident shot the bear.

The homeowner did keep chickens, and they think that is what attracted the bear.

To deter bears, [State Game Warden Justin] Slomian said people should not leave their garbage cans or pet food outside. If you have livestock, he said electric fences work well to keep the predators away.

McKean County, Pennsylvania is about 120 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, or about 150 mile drive from Pittsburgh.

Self-defense is a human-right.

"Registered socialist" Sets Fire to PA Governor's Mansion

From the Post Millennial - 'Registered socialist,' BLM supporter Cody Balmer charged with arson of PA governor's mansion

The man whom authorities have said set fire to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's home while he and his family were sleeping at 2 am has said he is a registered socialist and has shared support from the Black Lives Matter movement.

Cody Balmer, 38, has been arrested and charged with terrorism, attempted murder, and aggravated arson after Shapiro's home was torched while his family slept over the weekend, per the Associated Press. Shapiro and his family were able to escape without injuries. The fire was extinguished by first responders after the family escaped the burning home.

And the damage is more extensive than I thought from the original news photos I saw. From Cookedgooseinflorida 🐊 📟 on X. Click that link for a series of photos from inside the mansion.

For the record, this is NOT an acceptable form of dissent.

This is the governor’s mansion in PA… the arsonist has been arrested. This is extremely troubling.

I'm going to miss living in a civilized society.

Law and Order in Pennsylvania

Or the lack thereof. Pennsylvania judge accused of shooting her ex-boyfriend as he slept is convicted of attempted homicide - CBS News

The shooting occurred on February 10, 2024 at the home of her ex-boyfriend, Michael McCoy, CBS affiliate WHP-TV reported. McKnight had lived there, but McCoy repeatedly asked her to leave when their relationship ended, authorities said.

McCoy testified that the last thing he heard McKnight say to him before the shooting was, "oh, so you're serious," in regards to his pleas for McKnight to move out, WHP-TV reported.

When judges don't respect the law, where exactly are we as a society?

Of course Magistrate Court Judges in Pennsylvania are elected, so I'm not shocked that a politician doesn't think the law applies to her.

She was suspended from the bench in 2023.

McKnight, an elected judge in Dauphin County since 2016, was suspended without pay in mid-November 2023 by the Court of Judicial Discipline, which handles misconduct allegations against judges. The Judicial Conduct Board, which investigates and charges misconduct cases against Pennsylvania judges, alleged in a September filing that McKnight violated judicial probation from a previous misconduct case centered on her actions regarding a 2020 traffic stop involving her son. She was acquitted of criminal charges in that matter.

The system investigated a judge and determined that the judge didn't do anything wrong. I'm sure that was a completely unbiased investigation.

Another Instance of Fake Hate

This one is out of Pennsylvania. 'I pray for her': Allentown police charge city employee for fabricating noose hate crime at work | WFMZ

If you get points for being a victim, then you will do things to convince people that you have been victimized.

Police are charging LaTarsha Brown with falsely claiming someone put a noose on her desk. Investigators now believe she put it there herself. Back on January 10, the report first came out that Brown found a noose on her desk in the City's Department of Community and Economic Development.

Eventually, after she asked them not to pursue the case, they got a subpoena for her DNA. It matched the only DNA present on the noose.

That was enough to get her 2 misdemeanor charges: making a fake police report and falsifying evidence.

It also had the effect of throwing a cold bucket of water on allegations that there was a climate of discrimination in the Allentown City Hall. Now there may or may not be such a climate, but if there is, this didn't help root it out.

The hat tip goes to X (formerly Twitter) and Collin Rugg.

Jussie Smollett would be proud.

I'm completely aware that there is discrimination and racism in America, but neither Jussie Smollett or LaTarsha Brown are doing much to combat it. Just the opposite in fact.

Officer Andrew Duarte

End of Watch: Officer killed after a gunman took hostages at a Pennsylvania hospital

A man armed with a pistol and carrying zip ties entered a Pennsylvania hospital’s intensive care unit Saturday and took staff members hostage before he was killed by police in a shootout that also left an officer dead, authorities said.

West York, Pennsylvania is about a 100 mile drive west of Philadelphia, or about a 50 mile drive north of Baltimore, Maryland.

Duarte was a law enforcement veteran who joined the department in 2022 after five years with the Denver Police Department.

While the police officer and the gunman are dead, 5 people were injured. One hospital doctor, a nurse and a custodian, were shot. All of whom are now stable. Two other police officers were also injured in the shooting. They are also stable.

I don't know this for a fact, but my guess is that hospitals in Pennsylvania are "Gun Free Zones." Of course the signs by the entrance didn't stop the bad guy from bringing a loaded firearm into the ICU. It just made sure that everyone everywhere was a defenseless victim before the cops showed up.

You Can't Just Shoot Anybody Who Is on Your Property

Your home is not a free fire zone. Every bullet comes with a lawyer attached. Homeowner charged for shooting grocery delivery driver after his wife ordered from Instacart and didn’t tell him

The guy was just trying to deliver an Instacart order to the address, when the guy who lived there shot him in the legs.

The driver’s wife, Jessica Thomas, said the family was delivering an order from Weis Markets and gave officers their Instacart paperwork.

Her husband went to drop off the groceries but returned bleeding in his leg, she told police, according to the outlet.

Sabo has been booked on charges of recklessly endangering another person and additional charges may be presented at a later date.

Don't be a jerk, and save yourself a world of hurt.

Four Legged Attackers Need to Be Defended Against

People need to keep their dogs under control. Police: Two dogs attack man, one dog shot in self-defense Saturday in Hanover Twp.

Hanover Twp. police are investigating a Saturday incident in which a man was reportedly attacked by dogs and injured and a bystander shot one of the dogs in self-defense.

In this case, Hanover Township is a suburban area of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

A bystander witnessed the incident and shot one of the dogs to protect himself and the victim, police said.

The victim suffered injuries to both of his arms and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The injured dog was taken to an emergency veterinary facility, police said.

I'm sure someone will be upset that a dog was shot, even though it was attacking someone.

Self-defense, even against dogs, is a human-right. I have no idea how the DA in question will view the incident, but it seems a fairly straight-forward case of self-defense.

Election Fraud in Pennsylvania

From The Other McCain - Election Fraud: Democrat Firm Identified as Source of Suspicious Voter Registration Forms in Four Pennsylvania Counties

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania found 2500 fraudulent voter registration applications. Everything from fake names, and fake addresses to forged signatures.

In addition to Lancaster County, similar bogus registration forms were reported in York, Monroe and Berks counties. These were not, as some mistakenly said, fake ballots, but rather voter registration forms which county officials detected as suspicious. Of course, when Donald Trump posted a social media rant about it, all the liberal news media jumped up to accuse him of spreading “misinformation.”

Click thru for the details, and commentary.

A Son Protects His Mother

What should he have done? 'Ended well for the good guys': Abington police chief praises man who shot home invasion suspect - 6abc Philadelphia

She had gone to a local casino, and the bad guy, 26-year-old Khabir Shepard, followed her home, and forced his way into the house.

Investigators say, at that point, all the victim could do was scream.

"The homeowner's son had the presence of mind to wake up, somehow be able to retrieve his legally owned gun, and take action by shooting the suspect in the arm and back," said Chief Molloy.

Abington Township, Pennsylvania is about 13 miles north of downtown Philadelphia, but it will take you about 40 minutes to drive that distance, depending on traffic.

The chief of police, Patrick Molloy, had nothing but good things to say about the son.

Chief Molloy says this case highlights the need for everyone to always be aware of their surroundings, but also, citizens in the community helping make an arrest.

"He shot him twice until he was no longer a threat. He showed a lot of poise and skill and he very much likely saved his mother's life or saved her from being seriously injured," says Chief Molloy. "This ended well for the good guys and then we have a guy, who is a convicted felon who should not have possessed a firearm, who is now off the street."

As Chief Molloy says, Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0.

Actual Environmental Conservation in Pennsylvania

Hard to believe that people are paying attention to anything other than global boiling. From the Bay Journal - 'Chop and drop' tree felling aims to improve stream ecosystems in Pennsylvania | Wildlife & Habitat

To the unknowing angler or backwoods explorer, stumbling onto the scene can be jarring: mature hardwood trees growing along the banks of high-quality streams, chain-sawed at their base and intentionally dropped across the water. Exposed root balls winch into the streambank. During high water, the obstructions shunt water out of the stream and onto the forest floor.

Is it eco-vandalism? No. It’s a carefully orchestrated and increasingly popular stream improvement technique embraced by public land managers and conservation groups in Pennsylvania.

In our constant efforts to clean stuff up, we do a lot of damage.

Hat tip goes to both A View from the Beach: Kill a Tree, Save a Stream?,

This almost makes too much sense to be carried out by a government agency,

And also to Wombat-socho - Rule Five Sunday: Indoor Lounging