MARYCLAIRE DALE

Legal affairs writer

Dale covers national legal issues for The Associated Press, often focusing on the federal judiciary, gender law, #MeToo and NFL player concussions. Her work unsealing Bill Cosby’s testimony in a decade-old deposition led to his arrest and sexual assault trials.

US court says Smith & Wesson must comply with New Jersey subpoena in deceptive advertising probe

A U.S. appeals court says that Smith & Wesson must comply with a subpoena from New Jersey officials investigating whether the gun-maker engaged in any deceptive advertising.

When colleges close, students are left scrambling. Some never go back to school

More colleges around the country have been closing as they cope with steep declines in enrollment. That’s a consequence of both changing demographics and the effects of the pandemic.

Heartbreak, anger and many questions follow University of the Arts’ abrupt decision to close

Fallout is spreading over the impending closure of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. The nearly 150-year-old school says it plans to close its doors Friday.

Nicole Brown Simpson’s sisters want you to remember how she lived, not how she died

The sisters of Nicole Brown Simpson hope a new documentary on her life will explore how she lived, and not just how she died.

Family of Black teen wrongly executed in 1931 seeks damages after 2022 exoneration

The family of a Black teenager wrongly convicted and executed in Pennsylvania in 1931 is suing the county that prosecuted him.

American sought after ‘So I raped you’ Facebook message detained in France on 2021 warrant

An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said, “So I raped you,” has been detained in France after a three-year search.

The O.J. Simpson case forced domestic violence into the spotlight, boosting a movement

Thirty years ago, women’s rights advocates working to pass the 1994 Violence Against Women Act found domestic violence was still something of a hushed topic.

3 retired Philadelphia detectives to stand trial in perjury case stemming from 2016 exoneration

Three long-retired Philadelphia police detectives must stand trial, accused of lying under oath at the 2016 retrial of a man the jury exonerated in a 1991 rape and murder.

3 Pennsylvania men have convictions overturned after decades behind bars in woman’s 1997 killing

A Pennsylvania judge has overturned the convictions of three men imprisoned for decades in the 1997 slaying of a 70-year-old woman even though their DNA never matched what was found at the scene.

NFL retirees who say the league’s disability plan is a sham can proceed to trial

A judge says a federal lawsuit against the NFL’s disability plan can proceed to trial. The potential class action on behalf of retired players accuses the league of routinely denying valid injury claims so that it won’t have to make disability payments.

Philadelphia man won’t be retried in shooting that sent him to prison for 12 years at 17

A Philadelphia man won’t be retried in a 2011 quadruple shooting after spending more than a decade in prison starting when he was 17.

Pro-Palestinian faculty sue to stop Penn from giving wide swath of files to Congress

Pro-Palestinian faculty at the University of Pennsylvania are suing the Ivy League school to stop it from sending sensitive internal files to a congressional committee investigating antisemitism on campus.

Two 18-year-olds are being held on $2M bail in Philadelphia bus stop shooting that injured 8 teens

Authorities in Philadelphia say they have arrested two 18-year-olds in the shooting of eight Philadelphia high school students at a bus stop last week.

Lawyers say a trooper charged at a Philadelphia LGBTQ+ leader as she recorded the traffic stop

A Philadelphia city official arrested during a traffic stop says she started recording because she feared for her husband’s life.

Married LGBTQ leaders were taking car for repairs before their arrest in Philadelphia traffic stop

The married LGBTQ leaders arrested during a traffic stop in Philadelphia were driving separately to take a car for repairs when the lead car was pulled over.

Philadelphia LGBTQ leaders arrested in traffic stop the mayor calls ‘concerning’

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker says she’s very concerned by the arrest of two of the city’s top LGBTQ leaders during a highway stop.

Philadelphia death row inmate was never in the photo lineup that helped convict him. Now, he’s free.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Daniel Gwynn found himself on death row at 25 after Philadelphia prosecutors said in court that two witnesses had picked him out of a photo array in a fatal arson case.

Officials describe how gunman killed 5 relatives and set Pennsylvania house on fire

Officials near Philadelphia are closing their investigation into a shootout and house fire that killed six members of an extended family.

US appeals court to decide if Pennsylvania mail-in ballots with wrong date still count

A federal appeals court must decide if Pennsylvania voters who put the wrong date on the envelope containing their mail-in ballots should have their votes thrown out.

Bayer fights string of Roundup trial losses including $2.25B verdict in Philadelphia

The Bayer Corporation has spent more than $10 billion to settle lawsuits that claim the popular weed killer Roundup causes cancer.

Investigators focus on suspect in Philadelphia area fire and shooting that left 6 dead, 2 hurt

Investigators looking into a fire outside Philadelphia that left family members dead suspect they were killed by a relative who lived with them.

Philly sheriff’s campaign takes down bogus ‘news’ stories posted to site that were generated by AI

Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal’s campaign is acknowledging that a series of positive “news” stories posted to her campaign website were generated by ChatGPT.

Few are held responsible for wrongful convictions. Can a Philadelphia police perjury case stick?

Nearly 3,500 people have been exonerated of crimes in the U.S. since 1989, and $4 billion has been paid in compensation.

Pennsylvania can’t stop young adults from openly carrying guns during emergencies, US court rules

A U.S. appeals court has ruled Pennsylvania can’t stop young adults from openly carrying guns in public during a state of emergency.

Democrats who swept Moms For Liberty off school board fight superintendent’s $700,000 exit deal

A Pennsylvania school board that’s banned books, Pride flags and transgender athletes has awarded their superintendent a $700,000 severance package before power changes hands next month.

Maryanne Trump Barry, the former president’s older sister and a retired federal judge, dies at 86

Maryanne Trump Barry, a retired federal judge and former president Donald Trump’s oldest sister, has died at age 86 at her home in New York.

Abuse victims say gun surrender laws save lives. Will the Supreme Court agree?

Domestic violence victims believe that ‘red flag’ laws that remove firearms from people in crisis can save lives.

Philadelphia journalist who advocated for homeless and LGBTQ+ communities shot and killed at home

Authorities say a journalist and advocate who rose from homelessness and addiction to serve as a spokesperson for Philadelphia’s most vulnerable was shot and killed at his home early Monday.

Eddie Irizarry’s relatives distraught after charges dropped against officer who fatally shot him

Relatives of a man shot and killed by a Philadelphia police officer during a traffic stop for erratic driving are stunned and distraught by a judge’s dismissal of all charges.

Escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante is captured in Pa. with the help of dogs and a heat-sensing plane

Cavalcante has been captured after eluding hundreds of searchers for two weeks in rural southeastern Pennsylvania.