Pa. man found guilty of killing 3 Pittsburgh cops

Criminal Law

A Pennsylvania man was found guilty Saturday in the 2009 killings of three Pittsburgh police officers who responded to his mother's 911 call about an escalating argument.

The jury deliberated for just over three hours before returning the verdict against 24-year-old Richard Poplawski. He was found guilty of all 28 counts he faced. He was found guilty of first-degree murder in all three killings, the three most serious charges he faced.

About 50 Pittsburgh police officers lined the hallway outside Allegheny County Judge Jeffrey Manning's courtroom and burst into applause when Deputy District Attorney Mark Tranquilli emerged.

Poplawski did not comment as he was taken from the courtroom, and the judge ordered his mother, Margaret, removed as well after she stood up. Manning said he was concerned she was about to create an outburst and had sheriff's deputies remove her as a precaution.

As a result, Margaret Poplawski was not immediately available for comment after the verdict.

The trial now enters a penalty phase in which the jury will hear evidence about his mental state, background and other factors before determining if Poplawski gets the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

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Grounds for Divorce in Ohio - Sylkatis Law, LLC

A divorce in Ohio is filed when there is typically “fault” by one of the parties and party not at “fault” seeks to end the marriage. A court in Ohio may grant a divorce for the following reasons:
• Willful absence of the adverse party for one year
• Adultery
• Extreme cruelty
• Fraudulent contract
• Any gross neglect of duty
• Habitual drunkenness
• Imprisonment in a correctional institution at the time of filing the complaint
• Procurement of a divorce outside this state by the other party

Additionally, there are two “no-fault” basis for which a court may grant a divorce:
• When the parties have, without interruption for one year, lived separate and apart without cohabitation
• Incompatibility, unless denied by either party

However, whether or not the the court grants the divorce for “fault” or not, in Ohio the party not at “fault” will not get a bigger slice of the marital property.

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