Criminal Justice

It happened a little before 7 p.m. Wednesday at Easton Avenue and Beech Street in Bethlehem.

Clement Swaby was sentenced to up to 150 years in prison in the 2020 rape of a Lehigh University student, plus subsequent break-ins and attempted sexual assaults in Easton.

Lehigh County Judge Thomas Capehart denied the appeal of Patrick Palmer, who argued election staff should accept his paperwork because he paid a filing fee on time.

Patrick Palmer, an Allentown School Board director, argued in Lehigh County Court he should not be denied a spot on the primary ballot. County officials ruled he missed the March 7 filing deadline by a matter of seconds.

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s nominees for attorney general and state police commissioner received unanimous approval from the Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Senate.

Lehigh Valley Health Network was victimized in a cybersecurity attack last month. The network said it refused to pay a ransom. Now, patient information and photos have been posted on the dark web, according to LVHN.

The force, made up of municipal, county and federal investigators, is designed to fight the sexual exploitation of children in the county, along with human trafficking more broadly.

Marc Muffley was arrested at his home in Lansford, Carbon County, on Monday night. A hearing is set for Thursday afternoon in federal court in Allentown on charges that include possessing an explosive device at an airport.

On Thursday, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin declared that a city police officer was justified in fatally shooting an armed man during a foot chase last month.

The FBI said Marc Muffley, 40, of Lansford, Carbon County, left the airport Monday after checking a bag that was to be loaded on an Allegiant flight from Allentown to Sanford, Fla.

Police tape and several officers were in the area of Plaza Tropical, near Main and Lehigh streets.

The group is honoring the memory of Detective Jim Stanko.

There's been close to 300 cases reported so far this year.

Under the new rules, fines will stiffen and police will have more authority to confiscate vehicles.

The toys being used during the "Orbeez Challenge" have been altered to resemble real weapons.

Both DUI arrests and speeding citations were up over last year.

Law enforcement is Lehigh County's greatest expense.

Vandals struck on the ground and main floors, and cash from a donation box was stolen, officials said.

Bethlehem officials are still investigating.

The legislation cracks down on the illegal operation of dirt bikes and ATVs in the Lehigh Valley.

Charges were filed against Bethlehem's former Budget and Finance director on Thursday.

The more important topic was keeping people safe and getting rid of gun violence.