Jan. 31, 2023MONICA HERNDON / Philadelphia InquirerSome Pa. courts are excluding probation officers from requirements under police misconduct lawby Min Xian of Spotlight PA State CollegeThe decision further undermines the effectiveness of a program once lauded as a national model and championed by Gov. Josh Shapiro when he was attorney general.
Nov. 21, 2022HEATHER KHALIFA / Philadelphia InquirerJudges in Pa. can now dismiss charges against people ‘incompetent’ to stand trial, but flaws remainby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PA and Brittany Hailer of the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit JournalismThe state Supreme Court closed a decades-old legal loophole that kept people who would never be competent to stand trial on criminal charges in jail or prison indefinitely.
Oct. 31, 2022Missing traffic stop data from Pa. State Police undercut 2021 analysis for racial disparitiesby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAResearchers said the incomplete data were due to confusion over traffic stops that resulted in only a verbal warning, and that troopers have received updated instructions.
Oct. 20, 2022ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Philadelphia InquirerJail officials across Pa. sound alarm as mental health crisis puts people at risk, survey findsby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PA and Brittany Hailer of the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit JournalismA statewide survey of county jails by Spotlight PA and the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism revealed many facilities openly admit they are not equipped for the growing mental health crisis.
Oct. 12, 2022Ed Mahon / Spotlight PAYork County agrees to improve public access to criminal court records in response to suit by Spotlight PA, othersby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAThe settlement resolves allegations that the clerk of courts improperly delayed or denied access to criminal court records.
Aug. 26, 2022Jose F. MorenoNew report on racial bias in Pa. State Police traffic stops delayed by data problems, officials sayby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAState Police resumed collecting traffic stop data in 2021 after a Spotlight PA investigation found the department stopped tracking the information a decade ago.
Aug. 24, 2022Courtesy of PennDOTYour license plate frame is enough for police in Pa. to pull you over, court rulesby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe judges found the state’s vehicle code prohibits any part of the plate from being covered, including the visitpa.com website of the state’s tourism office.
July 21, 2022ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Philadelphia InquirerA beginner’s guide to requesting public records on Pa. law enforcementby Emma Dooling of Spotlight PAInterviews with experts and an analysis of data from the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records offer tips for successfully using the state’s Right-to-Know Law.
July 14, 2022Abby Drey / Centre Daily TimesJudge makes public search warrants involving Penn State student crime victims after university had them sealedby Sarah Rafacz of Spotlight PA State CollegeA judge in Centre County had sealed an entire case at the request of Penn State, a rare move that potentially violates the right to open courts guaranteed by the state and U.S. Constitutions.
July 11, 2022ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Philadelphia Inquirer5 takeaways from our event on Pennsylvania’s flawed police hiring databaseby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAPanelists said legislative action and other accountability measures are needed to close loopholes left in the 2020 law that created Pennsylvania’s law enforcement hiring database.
July 6, 2022Andy ColwellMeet Min Xian, local accountability reporter for Spotlight PA State Collegeby Min Xian of Spotlight PA State CollegeA graduate of Penn State, Xian has been reporting on rural and accountability issues in central and northern Pennsylvania for the past five years.
June 27, 2022Conflicting reports, gaps in data obscure true number of Pa. law enforcement agenciesby Emma Dooling and Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PASpotlight PA’s attempt to count police agencies in Pennsylvania unearthed large discrepancies — and that has implications for accountability.
June 21, 2022MONICA HERNDON / Philadelphia InquirerStatewide Pennsylvania police hiring database hindered by loopholes, lack of enforcementby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAThe database was hailed as a model to stop bad officers from hopping from one job to another. But now State Police say legislative changes are needed to make it more effective.
May 23, 2022Commonwealth Media ServicesLawmaker urges Pa. legislature to make it easier for attorney general to investigate police killingsby Christina Baker for Spotlight PAState Sen. Art Haywood said his bill — inspired in part by the police killing of Christian Hall — would address the “appearance of bias” that erodes trust in law enforcement.
May 18, 2022TIM TAI / PHILADELPHIA INQUIRERDespite high vaccination rates among Pa. prisoners, some COVID restrictions remain in placeby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAIncarcerated people and their advocates are asking the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to reconsider COVID-19 restrictions that affect quality of life.
April 21, 2022Danielle Ohl / For Spotlight PATo successfully use Pennsylvania’s ‘compassionate release’ law, he had to choose to dieby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAA late-stage cancer diagnosis left Bradford Gamble with a difficult decision: Receive treatment in a Pennsylvania state prison or die on the outside.
April 5, 2022DAVID SWANSON / Philadelphia InquirerWATCH: A free virtual panel on Pa.’s medical release law for state prisonersby Spotlight PA StaffSpotlight PA hosted a free discussion on the state’s compassionate release law and its impact on families of incarcerated people and taxpayers.
April 5, 2022Leise Hook / For Spotlight PAPennsylvania’s broken ‘compassionate release’ law, by the numbersby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAPennsylvania’s narrow criteria for “compassionate release” has resulted in only 31 people successfully making use of the program in 13 years.
March 30, 2022Matt Smith / For Spotlight PAParents of teen shot by Pennsylvania State Police sue troopers, local DAby Gary Harki of Spotlight PA and Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAThe lawsuit accuses troopers of using excessive force and the district attorney of misleading the public in connection with the December 2020 killing of Christian Hall.
March 30, 2022Leise Hook / For Spotlight PABroken ‘compassionate release’ rules strand Pa.’s sickest prisoners as costs to taxpayers soarby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAThere is bipartisan agreement that it’s too hard for people serving life in prison to get out when they are aging and ailing. But two proposals to change that face an uncertain future.
March 21, 2022Kent M. Wilhelm / Spotlight PAJudge admonishes Pa. State Police for response to request seeking email, phone recordsby Gary Harki of Spotlight PAThe rare public records lawsuit centers on whether data held by the agency’s cell phone provider must be turned over in response to a state Right-to-Know request.
March 16, 2022Ed Mahon / PA PostSpotlight PA joins 4 state newsrooms in fighting alleged First Amendment violations in York Countyby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAThe federal civil rights lawsuit seeks to end the York County Clerk of Courts practice of reviewing and redacting records before they are released to the public.
Feb. 24, 2022DAN GLEITER / PennLivePennsylvania State Police push back on panel recommendation requiring independent investigations when troopers kill, injureby Gary Harki of Spotlight PAWhile the State Police agreed to make changes or consider policy revisions based on a state oversight committee’s recommendations, they did not give up the ability to investigate their own.
Dec. 30, 2021Steven M. Falk / Philadelphia InquirerChristian Hall was killed one year ago by Pa. State Police. His family still wants answers.by Gary Harki of Spotlight PAActivists and Hall’s family are holding vigils in more than a dozen locations to remember the 19-year-old’s life and show officials they will not forget about his death.
Dec. 10, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerInvestigations of Pennsylvania State Police troopers who injure, kill should be independent, panel saysby Gary Harki of Spotlight PAThe proposed reform comes amid increased scrutiny of the nearly unchecked power of local district attorneys in Pennsylvania to decide whether or not to bring charges against police officers.
Dec. 9, 2021Bob Donaldson / Post-GazetteDistrict attorney consulted with Pennsylvania State Police before shooting, then ruled it justifiedby Gary Harki of Spotlight PAThe case has become the impetus for sweeping new recommendations to reform who investigates state troopers when they injure or kill someone.
Dec. 3, 2021ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Philadelphia InquirerWATCH: A free discussion on why killings by police officers often are ruled justifiedby Spotlight PA StaffWatch Spotlight PA's panel on why killings by police officers often are ruled justified.
Nov. 22, 2021Fred Adams for Spotlight PA / NBC NewsWhat you need to know about the killing of Christian Hall, 19, by Pennsylvania State Policeby Gary Harki of Spotlight PAHis parents are calling for a new investigation nearly a year after his death.
Nov. 18, 2021Screenshot of PA State Police videoChristian Hall, 19, had his hands up when police fatally shot him, videos showby Gary Harki of Spotlight PAAuthorities obscured the last four seconds of Christian Hall’s life in publicly released videos. New footage is prompting calls for an independent investigation.
Nov. 18, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesWho investigates police killings in Pennsylvania, and why there are few checks and balancesby Gary Harki of Spotlight PAElected district attorneys who work closely with police decide whether officers should be charged and rarely refer cases to the state attorney general.