Siana Law Attorneys Present Understanding Stormwater Litigation and Risk Management as Part of PSATS 2025 Stormwater Seminars

Siana Law attorneys, Eric M. Brown, Michael G. Crotty and Robert T. Sing are proud to participate in PSATS’ 2025 Stormwater/MS4 Seminars. As part of the one-day course, Mr. Brown, Mr. Crotty and Mr. Sing will present, Understanding Stormwater Litigation and Risk Management (1PDH) , which will explore best management practices to address stormwater complaints to…

Siana Law Attorneys at Law

Social Media as the New Public Square? Borough Declared in Violation of the First Amendment for Deleting Resident’s Comment on its Public Facebook Page by Richard Jones and Michael G. Crotty

The state of the First Amendment public forum in America has changed drastically in the last few decades with the rise of social media. Even today, social media continues to be a new frontier in human social interactions. Its recent effect on interactions with one’s local community and government are of particular interest. For example,…

Billboard Battle: Commonwealth Court Upholds Pennsylvania Borough’s Ordinance Separation Requirements By Richard Jones and Michael G. Crotty

For municipalities, regulating billboards can be a complicated endeavor. In addition to the typical ordinance considerations, zoning for them often involves balancing safety considerations, nuisance impacts, aesthetic concerns, glare/lighting and a use whose reach often extends beyond whatever non-residential district in which they are zoned. And there is no shortage of billboard zoning battles in…

No Policy, No Problem? University Prevails Against Campus Officer Terminated for Internet Posts Despite No Policy By: Michael G. Crotty, Esquire & Richard Jones, Legal Intern

The importance of having an employee social media policy was at the forefront in a recent Commonwealth Court decision. In Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education v. PASSHE Officers Association, the Court was asked to decide whether the lack of such a policy would prevent an employer (Kutztown University) from terminating a campus patrol officer…

Will Pennsylvania Supreme Court Decisions Cause Municipalities to Hit the Brakes on Third Party Events on Municipal Property? by Michael G. Crotty, Esquire

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has written the ending chapter of a bike race accident case stretching back to May of 2015. The finale is a lesson in caution. Municipalities cannot rely on releases alone in hosting, allowing or condoning third party events on municipal property (including roads). In Degliomini v. City of Philadelphia, a cyclist…

Michael G. Crotty, Esquire featured in recent PA Township News article on Personal Liability

Michael G. Crotty, Esquire recently contributed to the feature article, What You Need to Know About Personal Liability, Township Officials Can Combat Lawsuits with Knowledge, Best Practices, and Insurance, which was published in the August 2020 issue of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors‘ PA Township News. “There is such a range of claims that…

MUNICIPAL LAW ALERT – SB 841 Emergency Measures to Help Local Governments Respond to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency by Michael G. Crotty and Thomas J. Grant

Gov. Tom Wolf now has legislation on his desk that contains emergency measures to help local governments respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and includes a provision addressing a popular state education tax credit program. The bill was unanimously approved by both the state Senate and House, and has been presented to the Governor…