Guns, soda tax, and paid sick leave: How Pa. Supreme Court rulings have shaped cities
October 22, 2025
Spotlight PA: “Voters across Pennsylvania will decide the future of three state Supreme Court justices when they cast their ballots on Nov. 4.
Who serves on the high court matters for everyone in the commonwealth. In the past decade alone, the justices have ruled on reproductive health, redistricting, education, elections, and more….
Case: Commonwealth v. Lee, pending
Summary: The court will rule on whether requiring a life sentence without the possibility of parole for felony murder violates the state constitution’s ban on “cruel” punishment, in addition to the federal Eighth Amendment.
In Pennsylvania, a person can be convicted of felony murder — also called second-degree murder — when a death takes place during any felony, even when the person committing a crime did not kill anyone. Those who are found guilty of second-degree murder are mandated to serve a life sentence, the same punishment as those found guilty of first-degree murder, which requires intent to kill.
That was the fate assigned to Derek Lee, a 36-year-old man from Allegheny County, in 2016. Lee was involved in an armed robbery, but was not present when his accomplice murdered the homeowner.
In 2024, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Lee’s appeal after Superior Court ruled against him.”