Criminal Justice

A recent ruling from Pennsylvania's Supreme Court seemingly marks a major shift in how DUI cases can be prosecuted, with the court ruling that if a driver hasn’t been previously convicted, the state can’t punish them as if they were.

Residents who spoke to LehighValleyNews.com said they don’t know where they will go; the camp near Tilghman Street was an oasis for many who previously lived alone or in small groups.

LaTarsha Brown, an Allentown School Board member, was accepted Thursday into the Lehigh County’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program.

An Allentown Police officer has been charged with felony and misdemeanor counts of assault after allegedly striking a man with his service weapon.

City officials said the encampment is in active flood zone and must be shut down. The move goes against Mayor Matt Tuerk's directive to clean rather than clear camps.

State Police are investigating a hit-and-run that occurred on the ramp from Route 22 eastbound in Hanover Township. They discovered a man dead, but still are working to determine how he died.

Northampton County's district attorney will not press charges in a fatal single-vehicle motorcycle crash, officials announced Tuesday.

The patrols — on Broadway or on side streets just off Broadway — came during the opening weekend of Musikfest in Bethlehem.

Lehigh County Coroner Dan Buglio said toxicology testing showed a significant level of illicit controlled substances in Timothy Vanbilliard’s system, including methamphetamine, when he died May 11, 2025.

Attorney Ronnie Louis Creazzo has been charged in connection to threats made against the Office of Disciplinary Counsel following their attempts to serve him at his Bushkill Township home in 2024.

Officers found one victim at the scene Sunday night. As they were investigating, three more victims showed up at the hospital to be treated for gunshot wounds.

Police said they have yet to locate a murder weapon. But they indicated the arrest of Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, in the Poconos early Friday was a breakthrough. “What I can tell you is we have an individual in custody who committed these horrible crimes and I do believe our community is safe,” Police Chief James Fry said.

The child died Tuesday after he was shot in the basement of an Allentown home. Authorities said his 10-year-old brother accidentally fired a handgun the boys found.

The victim in a Tuesday night shooting incident in Allentown was an 11-year-old child shot by his 10-year-old brother, police and the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office said.

Pennsylvania State Police have arrested and charged a Glenside, Montgomery County, man with two second-degree felonies, other charges.

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.