Criminal Justice

A three-car crash in Lower Macungie almost exactly a year ago has now resulted in several charges including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence.

Bethlehem Police promised more than $1M of the money, for body-cams and retention bonuses. Some of the money will go to justice initiatives and safety programs.

Games for Gunz, a new gun buyback program in Allentown is looking to specifically target teen gun violence by offering video game consoles in return for firearms.

Lehigh County commissioners approved a nearly $1 million contract with long-term vendor Lehigh Valley Pretrial Services Inc. though several commissioners and the county controller raised concerns about transparency.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro has announced the charges against 30 individuals and 21 businesses located in Lehigh, Lebanon and Philadelphia counties. They are accused of “title washing” and re-titling stolen vehicles.

The Community Connections Partnership joins social workers from the city's Health Bureau with police officers to connect people who need help with social services. The police chief says the program has been successful, but the idea is not universally popular.

After 65 years, the Philadelphia Police Department has finally identified the victim in the city’s oldest unsolved homicide case as 4-year-old Joseph Augustus Zarelli, of West Philadelphia.

An anonymous donor gifted Northampton County's Department of Corrections a 2-year-old Labrador to assist with examining seized property.

"Deana's Law" will add harsh penalties for drunken and impaired drivers who repeatedly violate the law in Pennsylvania.

Lehigh County commissioners are evaluating a proposal that would create a new program for individuals recently released from prison by engaging them before release and following them to ensure they stay employed and do not reoffend.

Starting this summer, the Bethlehem Police Department will use stop-arm cameras to capture and enforce illegal school bus passing in its jurisdiction.

The virtual town hall will be streamed on Zoom at 7 p.m. Thursday. Lehigh Valley Stands Up is planning to host an in-person watch party.

A Northampton County jury found Christopher Ferrante not guilty of drug delivery resulting in death Tuesday, while convicting him on six lesser charges.

Testimony in the trial of Christopher Ferrante, charged in the 2020 overdose death of Michael Racciato, concluded Monday with Ferrante himself, along with his handler in the Allentown Police Department.

Body camera footage caught Phil Racciato identifying Christopher Ferrante to police as the alleged drug supplier who he says routinely provided his son Michael "Mikey" Racciato with illicit drugs.

Prosecutors presented data pulled from the cell phones of former state champion Pen Argyl wrestler Michael Racciato and defendant Christopher Ferrante, who stands accused of providing the fentanyl that led to Racciato's death in a Lower Nazareth Township parking lot.

Michael "Mikey" Racciato's father recounted the events leading up to his son's death in December 2020, including multiple overdoses, visits to rehab facilities and eventually discovering his son dead from a fentanyl overdose.

Northampton County's district attorney's office is touting $168,000 in drug money that law enforcement has confiscated.

The trial of Christopher Ferrante, charged in connection with the overdose death of Michael Racciato, began Monday. The case attracted scrutiny during the race for Northampton County District Attorney earlier this year.

Lawyers for Christopher Ferrante, charged with drug delivery resulting in death, told the court Monday he conducted at least two undercover drug buys for Allentown police.

The Salisbury Township Police Department is using humor on Facebook to foster connections and bridge a gap to reach people of all ages across the township and beyond. But there's a purpose to their punchlines, and the attention they've garnered seems to be working.

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said during the holiday that there were "consequences coming" to violators, but Allentown police say there was just a single citation related to fireworks during the holiday.