Criminal Justice

Allowing some residents to stay at the encampment for an extra month is “the safest and most humane course of action,” Mayor Matt Tuerk said. But no one else will be allowed to set up camp there before its closure.

ICE agents have agreed not to wear masks and to present ID and warrants when operating inside the Lehigh County Courthouse. But county officials declined to spell out specific procedures for ICE inside the courthouses.

The drowning death of a Hanover Township, Northampton County, child in July has been ruled accidental, the district attorney said.

On a narrow residential street, Etienne Theagene was driving 40.7 mph when he struck and killed Edward Tomcics, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday.

Edward Tomcics was fatally struck on the night of Dec. 25 outside his home on Water Street. More than seven months later, authorities charged the man who hit him.

Officials on Thursday said Allentown YMCA will open its shelter at least six weeks early this year to serve some residents of a homeless encampment who are being evicted.

Authorities in Allentown arrested a pair of brothers on drug charges Thursday morning, and seized nearly half a million dollars worth of cocaine at one of their homes.

Easton City Council opted to remove a Welcoming City ordinance from its Wednesday agenda, leading to a debate among council and the public as to the need for and intent of the legislation.

Yandiel Onil Gonzalez, 16, surrendered to authorities Wednesday and will be charged as an adult, police said in a news release. The shooting occurred July 12 on South Side.

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.

Lehigh Valley community members say the situation inside the Lehigh County Jail is bleak. Activists say COVID-19 conditions are causing harm to inmates and employees. And they plan to make their voices heard this weekend.

State courts told correctional institutions last year to reduce the number of inmates to help fight the spread of COVID-19 inside.

At a public forum with several Lehigh County Commissioners on Jan. 28, they called their working conditions “life-threatening.”

Lehigh County’s fiscal watchdog is advocating for bail reform.

A Harrisburg woman charged in connection with the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has been released from custody with restrictions.

A retired Pennsylvania firefighter has been arrested on suspicion of throwing a fire extinguisher that hit three police officers during the siege at the U.S. Capitol.

A yearlong study conducted by the state Department of Aging, found seniors are conned out of ten million dollars a year in Pennsylvania. And as WLVR’s Megan Frank reports, in many cases the scams come from people they know.

Allentown officials are in the process of creating a public safety review board. The goal is to have a body of citizens look into police matters and make reform recommendations.

As Allentown officials discussed what the future of policing may look like in the city Wednesday night, many people gathered outside council chambers - which were closed to the public.

Allentown City Council met last night to discuss a resolution designed to reform police practices.

Allentown city leaders will go on the record Wednesday evening, about reforming police policies and city council plans to discuss making major changes to law enforcement.

Students across the Lehigh Valley have been speaking out about racial inequalities in schools. And as part of these discussions, students say that they don’t want the police to play a role in their academic future. WLVR’s Genesis Ortega reports.