Latest news with #PittLaw
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
Judge suppresses internet group's evidence, leading to dismissal of local man's child porn charges
Sunday marked two years since state police arrested Thomas Hibbard. At the time, troopers said he had admitted to sending sexually explicit photos and messages to a girl he believed was nine or 10 years old. But the person he was messaging was a decoy — a member of the 'Predator Poachers' citizen vigilante group that works to catch child predators online, confront them on video, and then tip off law enforcement. On Monday — the judge in the case said all of that information — and the evidence obtained after that arrest that led to 900 child porn charges — was improperly obtained, so it would not be admissible in court. The case against Hibbard was thrown out. 'I absolutely agree. I saw this coming a mile away,' said Chalon Young, a defense attorney and Professor of Practice at Pitt Law. Young said these types of groups have grown in number nationwide and what they're doing actually hurts prosecutors. 'It takes away some incredibly valuable information that, if it was gathered properly, could have been used to put a dangerous person away for quite some time,' Young told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek. Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli agreed and discouraged people from doing this work. 'In this case, the judge suppressed all of the evidence, therefore the case could not proceed,' Ziccarelli said in a statement. 'The district attorney's office continues to discourage civilians and vigilante groups from conducting their own investigations because it does not conform to the statute and will not be upheld in a court of law. We encourage anyone with information about possible child sexual abuse to report their suspicions to their local law enforcement agencies.' In his ruling, Judge Tim Krieger said, 'Sexual communications with an adult pretending to be a child are simply not criminal unless the adult is a member of law enforcement acting in the performance of their duties.' Young agreed and said the judge did what he needed to do — and would do — for any defendant. 'The judge is just simply upholding the Constitution,' Young said. Young said online vigilante groups like Predator Poachers need to be aware of state laws they might be breaking by improperly recording conversations, and even harassment. This case is just one of many across the Commonwealth and in Westmoreland County. Channel 11 reported last year that David Holmes was arrested and charged after meeting with a member of Predator Catchers PA, who police say Holmes thought was a 13-year-old girl. RELATED COVERAGE >>> Man accused of arranging sexual meet-up with who he thought was a 13-year-old girl 'If the situation is the same as it is here, that evidence, I don't see how that evidence could possibly be admitted against him,' Young said. The District Attorney's Office tells Channel 11 the evidence in Holmes' case is still under consideration -- and that case is still pending. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
CBS News
04-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Jerry Dickinson "energized" to become dean for Pitt's School of Law
During Black History Month, KDKA-TV is bringing you stories from across the Pittsburgh region. PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The University of Pittsburgh's School of Law has a new dean in Jerry Dickinson. "It feels great. I'm excited. I'm energized by this honor," Dickinson explained. "I'm lucky to be here in this position, largely because of others who have paved that path." Those who paved that path include Robert Berley Harper in the 1970s, the Pitt Law alum who became the assistant dean of students, and later, the first Black tenured full-time professor. The 38-year-old is among the youngest deans in the school's history. School officials even believe Dickinson is the youngest to lead a law school in the U.S. He is also only the second Black man to take on the role. The journey to this moment was filled with trials and tribulations. "[I] came up out of the Allegheny County foster care system, grew up in a large foster home, had my own struggles as a child, young adolescent, but I stumbled upwards and was able to make it here." Dickinson began teaching in 2017. The constitutional law scholar educated students and the world about the dos and don'ts of our federal principles. Years later, history is repeating itself. "We're living in this moment where the Constitution is sort of being pushed to its limits in some way, shape, or form by the president, the executive branch, by Congress, and what I usually tell folks is that typically, historically, we come out on the other end," Dickinson said. This year, there's been a 50% increase in applications, which Dickinson attributes to the political climate. "At Pitt Law, we value diversity, equity, and inclusion, not just diversity across the board, but diversity in thought, diversity in opinion, diversity in ideological perspective, diversity in religion, diversity in all different aspects," Dickinson said. Dickinson is not a new face to the region. In 2020, he ran in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District, losing to Mike Doyle. He said he was done with that chapter, turning his focus on elevating the law school. "You look at Pitt Law five to 10 years from now, which I hope to be the dean and leading this law school, at that point, I could see Pitt Law being one of the top law schools in all the United States," Dickinson added.
