Criminal Justice

A simulation led by the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Lehigh Valley Justice Institute showed local leaders the challenges people face with income, ID, employment and more after being released from prison.

The Northampton County District Attorney’s Office plans to announce criminal charges Wednesday against an East Hills Middle School resource officer accused of statutory sexual assault and related felonies. He also served as a middle school soccer coach, according to the Bethlehem Area School District.

Northampton County prosecutors and Slate Belt police announced charges Tuesday in a string of robberies in Pen Argyl last winter.

Mayor David Heintzelman announced a new “officer in charge” of the Hellertown Police Department. One official said if the borough added six full-time officers as recommended in a report, taxpayers would bear the brunt of an estimated 35% property tax increase.

The powerful animal tranquilizer is showing up in supplies of illicit drugs and is contributing to a growing number of overdose deaths, including in the Lehigh Valley.

Someone robbed a bank in west Allentown while police responded Monday to a report of an armed person on the college campus, according to police.

A 29-year-old former Parkland student, who lived in a home owned by district performing arts director Frank Anonia, was sentenced to county prison last month on a charge of possessing child pornography.

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced on Friday that six persons have been charged in a large-scale burglary ring throughout the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas.

A Palmer Township police officer has been arrested for allegedly sending inappropriate images of himself to an underage Easton Area High School student, authorities said.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that a Lehigh County man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a January 2023 shooting in Allentown.

Lance Wheeler, an Easton community activist and former Easton City Council candidate, has been charged with harassing three students while driving a Wilson Area School District van in 2022.

Gavin Holihan, the Democratic and Republican nominee for Lehigh County district attorney, said he hopes to find resources to assist underserved families so at-risk kids today don't become victims or defendants a decade from now.

The pleas potentially set the stage for a trial in which Kohberger could face the death penalty.

Unofficial results in Lehigh and Northampton counties suggest voters rallied around candidates for Northampton County Council and Lehigh County district attorney, among others.

The changes, introduced at a county council committee meeting Wednesday, would eliminate some youth care worker positions at the county's juvenile justice center, and create new assistant supervisor roles.

Members of the Allentown Police Department gathered Wednesday to celebrate lifesaving efforts and actions of merit and heroism. The idea was to recognize those law enforcement officers who went above and beyond their call of duty.

A grand jury has indicted a man who was already charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, allowing prosecutors to skip a planned week-long preliminary hearing that was set for late June.

Primary candidates for Northampton County judge, Republican Nancy Aaroe and Democrat Brian Panella, secured their parties' nominations and will face off for the seat in November.

Gavin Holihan, the uncontested candidate for Lehigh County district attorney, has been endorsed by incumbent Republican Jim Martin and Democratic County Executive Phil Armstrong, among others.

Eric Schwab was arrested Monday on forgery charges. He's now facing additional charges brought forward Thursday by Northampton County DA Terry Houck.

Senior Judge Thomas Munley would not agree Monday to let police officer Johnathan Miklich regain his firearms if he's not cleared to work. Miklich is under investigation after his wife and ex-girlfriend sought protection-from-abuse orders in Northampton County Court.

Lehigh used its HawkWatch alert system Sunday to inform the campus community of events as they were happening.