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Three Prosecutors Look At The New Pennsylvania Crimes Code, Martin H. Belsky, Joseph Dougherty, Steven H. Goldblatt
Three Prosecutors Look At The New Pennsylvania Crimes Code, Martin H. Belsky, Joseph Dougherty, Steven H. Goldblatt
Martin H. Belsky
On December 6, 1972, a new Crimes Code, was approved, to be effective June 6, 1973. The new Crimes Code is the first real legislative attempt since 1860 to codify the criminal laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. However, because of political realities, it is not a complete codification, but rather an attempt to restructure only those provisions found in the former Penal Code.
In the comments of the Joint State Government Commission, the drafters of the new Crimes Code sought to convince the legislature and the public that few substantive changes had been made., In fact, by the elimination …