Primary resources are the actual laws that govern areas, including the statutes, regulations, court rules, and cases. Each type of primary resource impacts Pennsylvania criminal law. Each type of primary resource offers multitple access options.
All Pennsylvania crime statutes are codified in Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes and the Pennslyvania Statutes
WestlawNext: Allows keyword searching and browsing. Also provides index. Annotations provided for each section.
Lexis Advance: Allows keyword searching and browsing. Doesn't provide an index. Annotations provided for each section.
Free Web version: Allows keyword searching and browsing. Doesn't provide an index or annotations.
Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes Annotated (print version.) Provides current version of criminal statutes. Also includes annotations to cases and secondary resources. Index included. Must be updated manually.
Regulations concerning criminal conduct and the criminal justice system are codified throughout the Pennsylvania Code.
All electronic versions of the Pennsylvania Code allow keyword searching and browsing.
PA Code.com (free version)
The Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure govern procedure in Pennsylvania's criminal courts. The Rules are published as part of the Pennsylvania statutes (see "Statutes" box above for access). The Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure as also published as part of the Pennsylvania Code (see "Regulations" box above for access.)
WestlawNext and Lexis Advance all have Pennsylvania caselaw databases. Researchers can search these databases to find cases on Pennsylvania criminal law issues.
Researchers can use annotated codes to located cases on areas of the governed by a statute or court rule. WestlawNext and LexisNexis both provide annotated Pennsylvania statutory codes (see statutes box above for access).