Criminal: July 2011 Archives

MontgomeryNews.com reports: A bill that would allow experts to testify about the impact of sexual violence on victims recently passed the House by a 197-0 vote.  State Rep. Kate Harper, R-61, who worked with Philadelphia state Rep. Cherelle Parker to write the bill and help get it to a vote, said in a press release that the legislation will “aid in the prosecution of rape and sexual assault cases.”  An expert’s testimony could put the victim’s behavior in the proper context, the legislation states.

Read more: montgomerynews.com.

A judge in southeast Ohio is the second in the state to issue a decision casting doubt on a portable breath tester used on suspected drunken drivers.

Athens County Municipal Court Judge William Grim ruled this week that in some cases it's allowable for defense attorneys to present expert testimony challenging results from the Intoxilyzer 8000. The judge wrote the machine might be vulnerable to interference from smart phones and that blowing into the device longer might skew the reading.

Read more: zanesvillerecorder.com.