DV Journal

As a Navy veteran who dedicated a significant portion of my life to serving our country, I understand on a deeply personal level the critical importance of leadership, dedication, and integrity required to be an effective public servant. That’s why I am wholeheartedly supporting Dave Sunday for Pennsylvania Attorney General.

Dave’s journey, shaped by his service in the United States Navy on deployments to regions like the Persian Gulf and South America, resonates deeply with the core values instilled in those who serve: honor, courage, and commitment. His time in the Navy not only honed his leadership skills, but also provided him with a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted security challenges our nation faces. In the complex and demanding role of Attorney General, where crisis management and sound decision-making are paramount, Dave’s military experience equips him uniquely for the task at hand.

Beyond his military service, Dave’s track record as the York County District Attorney speaks volumes about his unwavering dedication to justice, public safety, and community well-being. Under his leadership, York County experienced historic declines in crime and recidivism rates, a testament to his effective strategies and proactive approach to law enforcement. Dave’s initiatives in combating the fentanyl epidemic, protecting seniors from scams, and prosecuting serious crimes like murders and narcotics cases underscore his commitment to safeguarding our communities and ensuring that justice is served.

What sets Dave apart is not just his impressive resume or his proven track record, but his genuine empathy and understanding of the issues facing Pennsylvanians. As a Navy veteran, he understands firsthand the sacrifices made by those who serve our country and is committed to ensuring that veterans receive the support and resources they need when they return home. His office’s advocacy for veterans’ rights and its efforts to address issues like Veteran homelessness and mental health demonstrate his compassion and dedication to those who have served.

Perhaps most importantly, Dave embodies the values of integrity, honesty, and transparency that are essential for any public servant. In an era marked by political divisiveness and distrust in government institutions, Dave’s commitment to ethical leadership and accountability is refreshing. He understands that the Attorney General’s role is not just to enforce the law, but to uphold the principles of fairness and justice that are the foundation of who we are.

As Pennsylvania Republicans prepare to head to the polls on April 23rd, I urge them to join me in supporting Dave Sunday for Attorney General. His leadership, experience, and unwavering commitment to justice make him the clear choice to lead Pennsylvania forward. With Dave Sunday at the helm, I am confident that Pennsylvania will become a safer, fairer, and more just commonwealth for all of us.

Dave Sunday’s Sunday’s collaborative approach to public safety resulted in a 30 percent decrease in crime during his first term, reductions in the prison population by almost 40 percent since its peak, and a reduced supervision caseload. A recent study conducted by IUP indicates that offenders in York have the lowest recidivism rate over a 5-year period, as compared to seven other counties. Additionally, since the implementation of York’s Early Termination of Probation Program, only 5 percent of the cases submitted recidivated within two years, resulting in a 95 percent success rate, now serving as a statewide model.

Dave is also a top litigator, a United States Navy Veteran and a dynamic leader who put himself through college and law school while working at UPS. Dave leads an office of prosecutors and detectives who together investigate and prosecute approximately 9,000 criminal cases annually.

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(From a press release)

A Bristol Borough man sexually assaulted three children, recorded the assaults, and shared some of the recordings on various social media sites, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced at a news conference on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

Brian Nathaniel Harris, 28, of Pond Street, was charged Tuesday morning with more than 160 counts, almost all of them felonies, related to the sexual assaults and production and dissemination of child pornography. He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Jan Vislosky and sent to Bucks County Correctional Facility under $20 million bail.

“A predator living among us like this is a community’s worst fear,” First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said. “Thanks to the outstanding work done by law enforcement, Brian Harris will be held in Bucks County detention while he awaits his day in court.” “We encourage anyone who has concerns or whose children may have had contact with this individual to please reach out to Bucks County Detectives.”

Law enforcement authorities strongly believe there is a possibility of additional potential victims. If anyone has any information, they are urged to contact Bucks County Detectives at 215-348-6354.

“In every single child exploitation case, time is of the absolute essence,” said William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Philadelphia. “In the case you’ve heard about today, agents, detectives, officers, and prosecutors sacrificed their Thanksgiving holiday and weekend by working to uncover and identify additional victims. They deserve our thanks for their tireless work in protecting vulnerable victims and saving lives.”

Charges against Harris include multiple counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of an unconscious person, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, indecent assault of an unconscious person, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age, knowingly photographing or filming a child sex act, dissemination of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and criminal use of a communication facility.

This case is being investigated by Bucks County Detectives, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Attorney General’s Office.

“Protecting children is at the very top of our priority list as public officials, and we were proud to work alongside our partners in Bucks County to remove this alleged predator from society,” Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “My office remains committed to collaboration with law enforcement and community partners that keep Pennsylvanians safe.”

Harris was first arrested last week for disseminating child pornography, an investigation that began Oct. 31, 2023, when the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. That CyberTip report indicated that a person shared an image of child pornography on the social media site Snapchat.

The investigation led authorities to Harris. Bucks County Detectives and local law enforcement served an arrest warrant and took Harris into custody on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, at his home in the 1200 block of Pond Street. He was charged that day with dissemination of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and criminal use of a communication facility. He was sent to BCCF on $100,000 bail, 10 percent. Further investigation led to the latest charges. As part of that investigation, detectives served a search warrant for electronic devices, seizing two cellphones.

A forensic extraction of those cellphones uncovered more than 500 combined image and video files containing child sexual abuse material. An analysis of those files showed Harris filming himself while he touched or sexually assaulted the victims, one of whom who was asleep during the assaults. In several of the files, Harris’ right hand is captured wearing a black ring inscribed with the words “Yee Yee.” He was wearing the ring when he was taken into custody. Additionally, the investigation found that Harris disseminated several of those files through various social media platforms using multiple online identities. The victims were identified as two boys and one girl, ranging in age from 2 to 12.

The investigation found that these crimes occurred within Bucks County between September 2018 and September 2023.   This case was investigated by Bucks County Detectives, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Attorney General’s Office, the United States Marshal Service, Falls Township Police Department, and the Bristol Borough Police Department.  Chief Deputy District Attorney Kristin M. McElroy is assigned for prosecution.

When Kat Copeland was 6 years old, her family moved to Iran, her mother’s homeland. They lived there happily until the Iranian Revolution toppled the Shah in 1979. The Islamic Republic arrested her American dad, Max Copeland, accusing him of being a CIA agent.

But her mother, Shahin Maleki Copeland, who was trained as a linguist, not a lawyer, decided to fight for her father’s freedom, Copeland said.

With no legal training, her mother represented her father as the first woman in the Islamic Republic of Iran to argue a court case, citing verses from the Koran, and won his freedom.

“My mother, and what a mother, defended my father and fought valiantly for his release,” said Copeland. “Securing it just a short time before President Ronald Reagan successfully negotiated the release of our American hostages.”

The Copeland family then returned to the U.S. But that experience planted a seed within Copeland. She knew she wanted to become a lawyer and fight for justice.

“This period of time in my life truly shaped my appreciation for the rights and freedoms we hold dear in our country,” said Copeland. “The freedom of speech. The freedom of religion. The right to privacy. Due process.”

Flash forward to last Monday, and Copeland, 56, of Radnor, who has spent 30 years in the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, including as DA, or in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, announced she is now running for Pennsylvania Attorney General.

“I have dedicated my life and 30-year career to defending the constitution and the rights of individuals,” said Copeland. “It is this very passion for justice that has led me to this.”

“The attorney general is the state’s chief legal and law enforcement officer,” said Copeland. “The attorney general has the duty to protect and defend both the United States and Pennsylvania Constitutions, the laws of Pennsylvania. And the interest and safety of the people of our commonwealth.”

“To be an effective attorney general, you need to be both a good lawyer and a good manager,” said Copeland. “It is a job where experience truly counts.”

Copeland touted her wide range of experience prosecuting cases at the county and federal levels.

“I have the most legal and law enforcement experience of any candidate,” said Copeland. As an assistant DA, she handled cases from theft to murder and rape. In 2018, the Board of Judges appointed her as the Delaware County DA, but she lost when she ran for the position against District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer in 2019. She was the first woman to run the county’s drug task force and spearheaded the drug treatment and veterans’ courts. She was also the first leader of Delaware County’s criminal terrorism unit.

In the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she led investigations and prosecutions against terrorists, cybercriminals, human traffickers, international drug traffickers, and other violent criminals, she said. She was chief of the criminal division for the Easter District of Pennsylvania, with a staff of 300 and encompassing nine counties.

As attorney general, Copeland promised “zero tolerance” for those who sell opioids and fentanyl.

As the daughter of a 92-year-old mother, she said she would protect seniors from abuse, neglect, and fraud. She would also protect children and families from child pornographers and would ensure schools are safe.

“Unlike previous attorneys general, I will stand up to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner,” said Copeland, “and prosecute drug crimes and trafficking in Philadelphia.”

“The last 12 years, this office has been used for partisan political gain,” she said, “and to settle personal and political vendettas. The last 10 years, the office has worked lockstep for the governor’s office, allowing government to overreach and disrupt so many lives.”

“When I am attorney general, this will end,” said Copeland. “The office will once again become the independent office it was created to be.”

Asked by DVJournal what she meant by her criticism of the former attorneys general, Copeland said, “I’ll keep talking about it during the course of the campaign, but that’s all I’m saying today.”

York County District Attorney David Sunday is also running for the Republican nomination and recently received an endorsement from the Republican Attorney Generals Association.

Asked if she was worried about that, Copeland said, “I’m not concerned.”

“I have proven that I have the ability to raise the money necessary to run for Pennsylvania attorney general,” Copeland told DVJournal.

In addition to Sunday, state Rep. Craig Williams may be running for attorney general on the Republican side.

For the Democratic nomination, former Bucks County solicitor Joe Kahn, former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, and former Philadelphia Public Defender Keir Bradford-Grey are running. Stollsteimer, who was just reelected Delaware County district attorney, is also expected to run.

From a press release

The Pennsylvania Senate voted Wednesday to confirm Michelle A. Henry, a life-long public servant and former first deputy attorney general, to serve as Pennsylvania Attorney General. The vote follows Monday’s unanimous decision by the Senate Judiciary Committee to recommend and advance her nomination.

“This is a powerful vote of confidence in our work and I am humbled to lead the dedicated team in the Office of Attorney General on behalf of every Pennsylvanian,” said Attorney General Henry. “Consumers, victims, and our partners in law enforcement now rely on the Office in record numbers, and with this vote, we can continue to be the independent, fearless, and trusted voice Pennsylvanians have come to expect. There will be big challenges over the next two years, and, as your Attorney General, I promise we will step up and always have Pennsylvanians’ backs.”

The Attorney General is the state’s top law enforcement officer and operates with a wide range of responsibilities to protect and serve the citizens and agencies of the Commonwealth. The Attorney General leads a staff of several hundred prosecutors, attorneys, investigators, agents and support staff in offices across the state, divided into four divisions: the Criminal Law Division, the Public Protection Division, the Civil Division and the Operations Division.

“Michelle Henry has the experience, talent, and dedication to the pursuit of justice that Pennsylvania needs in the Attorney General’s office – and that’s why I nominated her to serve out the remainder of my term,” said Gov. Josh Shapiro. “By confirming her nomination, the Senate has guaranteed that Pennsylvanians have an Attorney General who will fight for them. I look forward to working with Attorney General Henry to build safer communities and protect the rights of Pennsylvanians.”

A prosecutor for more than 26 years, Henry rose from intern in the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office to now serve as the chief law enforcement officer for the Commonwealth. She is a graduate of Allegheny College and the Widener University School of Law, worked for the Westmoreland County Legal Aid Office, and clerked for now retired Lancaster County President Judge Michael Georgelis.

Before serving as First Deputy Attorney General, Michelle dedicated over 20 years of her career to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office – taking on critical jobs including chief of major crimes, chief of child abuse, and first assistant. She was appointed Bucks County District Attorney with a bipartisan vote in 2008. Michelle has been a leading advocate for children throughout her career, prosecuting major child abuse cases and launching Bucks County’s children’s advocacy center. She has pushed major initiatives and took a leading role in educating junior prosecutors from across the Commonwealth.

As First Deputy Attorney General under former Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Henry was responsible for overseeing all of the Office’s legal matters, including criminal cases to seek justice for victims, civil suits representing the commonwealth and public protection cases fighting for the rights of Pennsylvania consumers. During her tenure, Henry was admitted to the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America; and received the Widener University Commonwealth Law School’s 2017 Excellence in Public Service Alumni Award for her “extraordinary contributions” to public service.

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GOP candidate for governor Bill McSwain says state Attorney General Josh Shapiro is “politicizing” his position as part of his candidacy for governor, and he needs to go.

“I am calling on Josh Shapiro to immediately resign from his post as Attorney General,” McSwain said. “During his time in office, Josh Shapiro has taken every opportunity to politicize his position and prioritize personal advancement over upholding and enforcing the law. Now, as a candidate for Governor, he has made it clear that he plans to cast aside his responsibilities as AG in favor of the campaign trail. This is unacceptable – and furthermore, it is immoral.”

McSwain, who served as U.S. Attorney for southeastern Pennsylvania until January, has made crime a central part of his bid for the GOP nomination. He’s pointed to growing violent crime in Philadelphia, where there have been 400 homicides in 2021, an all-time record, among other instances of crime around the state.

“While Shapiro rides around the state in a campaign bus making jokes about sandwiches and cheese sticks, violent crimes are going unpunished and unacknowledged,” said McSwain. “Only someone completely lacking in integrity would continue acting as an absentee AG while citizens suffer. Pennsylvania deserves an Attorney General who will put public safety first, and who will not demean the office with political motivations. Josh Shapiro must resign.”

Shapiro previously stated that he does not intend to resign from his post as Attorney General while campaigning and at an event in Harrisburg said he has “too much work to do in the AG’s office, so I’m going to keep doing that work.”

A spokesman fired back, saying in the last two weeks Shapiro: “announced that his office has convicted a doctor for dangerous prescription practices; announced that a Fayette County priest has pleaded no contest to child sexual abuse; convened a discussion with local law enforcement leaders in southwestern Pennsylvania to talk about what can be done to address the police officer shortage, reiterating his call for the Legislature to allocate $28.5 million to address the issue;  arrested a man for stealing from intellectually disabled individuals to receive up to $90,000 in unemployment benefits. announced that his office worked with the New Jersey Attorney General’s office to arrest a man who illegally purchased more than a dozen ghost guns.”

However, McSwain said that instead of addressing the onslaught of violence, Shapiro has been traveling in his campaign bus, “proudly promoting his mini-fridge stocked full of the children’s snack ‘Uncrustables’ and encouraging people to follow him on TikTok.”

Thus far, Shapiro is the only Democrat in the race. The Republican field currently includes former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale, Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry President Guy Ciarrocchi, political strategist Charlie Gerow, surgeon Nche Zama, state Sen. Dan Laughlin and Pittsburgh attorney Jason Richey.

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