Title: Mezzacappa, T. v. Northampton Co. - No. (Granted) (petitions for allowance of appeal)
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 340 MAL 2023
State: Pennsylvania
Issuer: Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Date: June 4, 2024

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA MIDDLE DISTRICT TRICIA MEZZACAPPA, Respondent v. NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, Petitioner : : : : : : : : : : : No. 339 MAL 2023 Petition for Allowance of Appeal from the Order of the Commonwealth Court TRICIA MEZZACAPPA, Respondent v. NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, Petitioner : : : : : : : : : : : No. 340 MAL 2023 Petition for Allowance of Appeal from the Order of the Commonwealth Court ORDER PER CURIAM AND NOW, this 4th day of June, 2024, the Petitions for Allowance of Appeal are GRANTED. The issues, rephrased for clarity are: (1) Did the Commonwealth Court, in this matter of first impression, erroneously determine that a mug shot was not an “identifiable description,” which cannot be disclosed by a non-law enforcement criminal justice agency pursuant to the Criminal History Information Act (CHRIA), 18 Pa. C.S. §§ 9101-9183? (2) Should the Commonwealth Court have remanded this matter to the trial court to balance the privacy interests of the individuals, whose [339 & 340 MAL 2023] - 2 mug shots are at issue in this matter, under Article I, Section 1 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, PA Const. art. I, § 1, against the public’s interest in dissemination of the mug shots as informed by this Court’s decision in Pennsylvania State Education Association v. Department of Community and Economic Development, 148 A.3d 142 (Pa. 2016)? The Prothonotary is directed to submit these matters on the briefs.