April 28, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerHow Pa. troopers use sweating, stuttering during traffic stops to launch vehicle searchesby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PALaw enforcement across the country pull drivers over for alleged, minor traffic infractions with the intent to look for possible criminal activity. Pennsylvania is no exception.
April 22, 2021Courtesy of Pennsylvania Department of CorrectionsWorkers in Pa. prisons, COVID-19 hotspots, aren’t getting vaccinated. Here’s why that’s dangerous.by Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PAApproximately one-fifth of prison staffers have reported being vaccinated, far less than the roughly half of those incarcerated in Pennsylvania facilities.
April 8, 2021MONICA HERNDON / Philadelphia InquirerMajor Pennsylvania state contractor accused of fleecing employees to pump up profitsby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe State College-based construction and paving company has been paid more than $1.7 billion for state projects.
March 26, 2021CHARLES FOX / Philadelphia InquirerHow being sick could result in even stiffer penalties for spitting on Pa. policeby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PAThe bill specifically names HIV, even though the virus is not spread through saliva.
Feb. 17, 2021CHARLES FOX / Philadelphia InquirerPennsylvania State Police will escape legislative scrutiny in 2021 budget processby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PAThe decision comes after a year dominated by policy brutality protests, and amid concerns about illegal vehicle searches and alleged racial profiling of Latinos by troopers.
Dec. 18, 2020TIM TAI / The Philadelphia InquirerAn inmate died of the coronavirus, but Pa. corrections never told his familyby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PAState corrections officials say they are following the law in protecting medical information, but family members and advocates contend they could do more when inmates get sick or die.
Dec. 14, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. corrections dept. tells officer with COVID-19 symptoms to return to work earlyby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PAA corrections officer was told to come back to work while still showing symptoms. Was it the right thing to do?
Dec. 12, 2020Screenshot by Spotlight PASee how often your local Pa. district judges are actually in the courtroomby Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PAUse our interactive tool to explore our analysis of case proceedings for nearly all of Pennsylvania's more than 500 district judges.
Dec. 10, 2020DAN GLEITER / PennLivePiles of records and months of reporting lead to eye-opening report on Pa. district judgesby Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PA and Christine Vendel of PennLiveA yearlong investigation by PennLive and Spotlight PA included a detailed analysis of more than 3.8 million case events, as well as more than 40 interviews.
Dec. 10, 2020Sean Simmers / PennLiveSome local Pa. judges enjoy light workloads as taxpayers pay millions for salaries, pensions, health careby Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PA and Christine Vendel of PennLiveA yearlong investigation by PennLive and Spotlight PA found huge variations in how much time each judge spends in the courtroom. Many also work second jobs as lawyers, business owners.
Oct. 1, 2020How Pa. state troopers seize big money from drivers, many of whom are never chargedby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PA and Joshua Vaughn of The AppealAn investigation by The Appeal and Spotlight PA found that troopers in three counties have taken drivers’ money with little evidence, sometimes the result of illegal searches.
Sept. 30, 2020Abbie Adams / For Pittsburgh City PaperA changing story by police on a rural Pa. shooting helped fuel white vigilantes and misinformationby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PA and Ryan Deto of Pittsburgh City PaperVideo footage from the night of a shooting in Bedford County does not support state police accounts that a confrontation preceded shots being fired at a group of civil rights marchers.
Sept. 3, 2020DAN GLEITER / PennLivePa. inspector general reviewing legality of some state police traffic stops, searchesby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PAThe action comes in response to an investigation by Spotlight PA and The Appeal that found a pattern of illegal searches.
Aug. 31, 2020Highway ‘stop-and-frisk’: How Pennsylvania state troopers conduct illegal traffic searchesby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PA and Joshua Vaughn of The AppealA review of five years of cases that arose from traffic stops in the south-central region of the state shows that police used underhand tactics to justify holding and searching drivers illegally.
July 15, 2020Courtesy 3/20 CoalitionIn State College, a police shooting and calls for action, not more committee reportsby Yaasmeen Piper of Spotlight PASpotlight PA spoke to a member of the 3/20 Coalition in State College as part of a new series contrasting the demands for police reform in communities to the actions taken by the legislature.
