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Est. of Alston, D., Appeal of: Pompeya, Y.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania · 2026-06-23
The case involved Yara Pompeya's pro se appeal from an Orphans' Court order in Montgomery County that dismissed with prejudice her amended petition for citation against attorneys Nego Pile and Pile Law Firm, among others, in the estate of her deceased father Daryl Alston. The petition alleged failures in estate administration services under a retainer agreement. The lower court had sustained preliminary objections to the petition on grounds including lack of jurisdiction over legal malpractice claims, insufficient specificity, and legal insufficiency, then dismissed after Pompeya did not appear at a scheduled hearing. The Superior Court vacated the dismissal order and remanded, finding ambiguity in whether the dismissal was intended as a non pros judgment for failure to appear or a ruling on the preliminary objections, and directing clarification to allow Pompeya appropriate post-judgment remedies.
procedurefamily law
Com. v. Waters, A.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania · 2026-06-23
In this case, Anthony Dwayn Waters, Jr. was convicted by a jury of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion, sexual assault, and indecent assault without consent arising from an incident with a coworker at a Walmart loading dock. Both Waters and the Commonwealth appealed the resulting judgment of sentence entered in the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County; Waters challenged the denial of his motion to strike a prospective juror for cause and the admission of certain hearsay evidence, while the Commonwealth argued that the sentence was manifestly unreasonable and excessively lenient. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania affirmed the judgment of sentence in full, concluding after review that the trial court did not err in its evidentiary and juror rulings and that the sentencing court acted within its discretion by relying on the presentence investigation report and mitigating factors such as Waters's work history and family relationships despite a downward departure from the guidelines.
criminal law
Com. v. Banks, A.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania · 2026-06-22
This case involves Alterik Y. Banks appealing the dismissal of his Post-Conviction Relief Act (PCRA) petition challenging his jury convictions for corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor, and four counts of indecent exposure. The convictions stemmed from incidents in which Banks openly masturbated in front of his girlfriend's 16-year-old daughter. The PCRA petition was filed more than a year after the judgment of sentence became final following the quashing of Banks's direct appeal due to his fugitive status. The Superior Court affirmed the dismissal, holding that the petition was time-barred and that no statutory exceptions to the PCRA's one-year filing deadline applied to permit review.
criminal lawprocedure
Com. v. Minder, L.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania · 2026-06-22
This case involved consolidated appeals by Legious Robert Minder from judgments of sentence in Lehigh County following his negotiated guilty pleas to offenses in four criminal matters and the revocation of his parole in two others based on those convictions. Minder sought to withdraw his guilty pleas via a post-sentence motion, arguing they were not knowing and voluntary because he had not been informed of the standards for withdrawal, and he contended that success on that claim would require vacating the parole revocations. The Superior Court affirmed the sentences, holding that the pleas were valid under established precedent such as Commonwealth v. Prendes and Commonwealth v. Chumley, which do not require courts or counsel to advise defendants of plea withdrawal procedures or standards prior to entry of the plea. The court further reasoned that the lack of such advice does not render a guilty plea involuntary or unknowing, and therefore the contingent challenge to the parole revocations also failed.
criminal lawprocedure
Com. v. Savage, T., Jr.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania · 2026-06-22
In this case, Tyrone Dyvon Savage, Jr. appealed from a judgment of sentence imposed by the Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas after he entered a negotiated guilty plea to simple assault while already serving a life sentence for another matter. The plea agreement included a recommended consecutive sentence of one to two years' imprisonment, with other charges nolle prossed, and the court imposed that term plus various court costs and fees. Appellant's counsel filed an Anders brief and petition to withdraw, raising the question of whether the sentencing court could assess costs not specifically agreed to in the plea. The Superior Court concluded that the costs were properly imposed as part of the sentence, that any challenge to the plea or sentence lacked merit or was waived, and that no non-frivolous issues existed on review of the record. It therefore affirmed the judgment of sentence and granted counsel's petition to withdraw.
criminal lawprocedure
Murat, R. v. Stateside Builders
Superior Court of Pennsylvania · 2026-06-18
The case involved a contract dispute in which Roman and Randi Murat sued Stateside Builders, LLC, and Daniel Beebie over substandard construction, delays, permit failures, and financial mismanagement on a custom luxury home project, leading to termination of the contract and a damages award of $1,143,619.93 in the Murats' favor. The builders appealed, raising challenges including waiver of post-trial claims for failure to file a required brief, individual liability of Beebie, application of the gist of the action doctrine, and denial of a continuance. The Superior Court affirmed the judgment, holding that the appellants had waived their post-trial motion issues by not complying with the trial court's briefing order, which left their remaining appellate arguments unpreserved for review.
business & regulatorypropertyprocedure