Criminal Justice

Macungie residents, including a long-serving corporal of the police department, packed a borough council meeting Wednesday morning to protest a revised police internal affairs policy.

Allentown police used city surveillance cameras and license-plate readers to track a vehicle and identify two suspects that fled the area of shooting.

Lehigh County Judge Thomas Caffrey said criminal dockets related to an interstate drug ring should have been unsealed weeks ago. LehighValleyLive.com, LehighValleyNews.com and The Morning Call had petitioned the court to release information pertaining to dozens of criminal defendants.

Authorities are trying to sort through exactly what led to a 29-year-old man's death near South Fourth Street and Emaus Avenue. The district attorney says the victim had confronted the delivery driver whom he believed had damaged his vehicle.

Marquis Michael Watkins has been sentenced to life without parole in the shooting death of a Bethlehem woman in 2022, according to the Northampton County District Attorney's Office.

A Lehigh County judge has denied a request by Francis Anonia, the former Parkland School District performing arts administrator, to suppress videos allegedly recovered from his cell phone during an invasion of privacy investigation by county detectives.

Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio found the victim died of blunt force injuries after being struck by a vehicle. He ruled the manner of death as homicide.

Abviud Carvajal, of Allentown, after a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Nov. 18, was ordered to face county court on the charges, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan said in a news release.

Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, did not sign the discharge petition that will force a vote on releasing the Epstein files on Tuesday. However, Mackenzie has said for months he would support the measure if it came to a vote.

Costas Alesta's motion to withdraw his guilty plea filed was denied by county judge Judge Samuel P. Murray in a one-page order filed Friday, Nov. 7, county District Attorney Stephen G. Baratta said.

Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck, running for a second term, has said his office reduced crime by 25% since he took office. State statistics tell a more complicated story.

The buyback, coordinated by District Attorney Terry Houck, trades $50-$200 grocery gift cards for unwanted weapons.

Pa. Governor Josh Shapiro wants to create a new bank account to fund the State Police without taking money away from road repairs.

Crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and fentanyl were confiscated. Cash and firearms were involved, as well.

As the Jewish people celebrate the start of Passover on Wednesday night, the observance is a reminder that the oppression of Jews and others continues today.

Republicans intend to portray Rep. Susan Wild as soft on crime after she voted not to block a Washington D.C. law that would have lessened sentences for people convicted of some crimes.

Hosheem Johnnyray Klotz, of Macungie, has been arrested and charged with the criminal homicide and aggravated assault of Mastapha Brown.

Authorities say several schools were targeted, including Allen High School in Allentown and Catasauqua High School. Police and parents rushed to the schools.

Lehigh Township police were called June 29 to a Lehigh Township home, where they found a 67-year-old man dead from multiple gunshot wounds, according to officials.

It was the second shooting incident investigated by Allentown police in just a few hours. Police ask witnesses or anyone with information to call 610-437-7721.

An Allentown resident confronted someone trying to enter parked vehicles — and both ended up dead after a gunfight, according to police. Police leaders addressed the issue of thefts from vehicles in a podcast just this week.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.