BOSTON — A lawyer for Lindsay Clancy is asking a judge to investigate the conduct of the lone juror who wanted to convict the Massachusetts mother of murder in the deaths of her three young children.
In a motion filed Friday but made public Monday, Clancy’s lawyer asked the court to question juror Michael Desronvil about his alleged use of a cellphone during deliberations, his truthfulness on a questionnaire that prospective jurors filled out before the trial began, and his truthfulness when jurors were questioned by the judge a day before the trial ended.
Among other things, lawyer Kevin Reddington asked the court to obtain a record of any calls or texts Desronvil made between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on each day the jury deliberated. Phone use during deliberations is prohibited in the state.
The judge declared a mistrial Sept. 4 after the jury insisted it couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict, despite days of trying. Eleven of 12 jurors were ready to clear Clancy of criminal responsibility, with the majority feeling that she was in the grip of a rare condition called postpartum psychosis when she strangled her kids.
But Desronvil sided with the prosecutors, who had argued that Clancy knew what she was doing.
Desronvil hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with his service on the jury, though some other jurors complained that he was inflexible in his opinion that Clancy was guilty. In a statement released by his lawyer last week, Desronvil said he “didn’t have any doubts.”
Prosecutors have yet to say whether they plan on putting Clancy on trial again. She remains charged with murder and is in a psychiatric hospital until her case is resolved.
In another motion on Monday, another lawyer for Clancy, Martin Weinberg, asked the judge to take the unusual step of dismissing the criminal case, rather than putting on a new trial, on the grounds that a mistrial shouldn’t have been declared in the first place.
Weinberg argued that the judge should have replaced Desronvil with an alternate during the deliberations after the jury foreperson complained he was refusing to listen to the law on reasonable doubt.
“Contrary to the court’s stated belief at the time, it did have viable choices other than declaring a mistrial,” Weinberg wrote.
A spokesperson for Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz would not comment on the motions.
At the trial, jurors heard from psychologists and clinicians who treated Clancy for several months before the killings, when she was suffering from worsening mental health problems that emerged after the birth of her youngest child. She was released from a psychiatric hospital less than three weeks before she killed her children.
Rep. Ro Khanna of California leaned forward in a patterned armchair as a rooster crowed outside, listening as a group of farmers in rural Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, told him that Democrats came across as inauthentic and insincere.
“Don’t promise the farm and not come up with it,” said Joe McCann, who grows hay and raises pigs. “And don’t lie to people. I can take anything, but if someone’s standing there physically lying to me and blowing smoke up my butt, that’s not going to cut it.”
Khanna agreed, fretting that his party had for too long “looked down” on blue-collar voters. Then he quipped: “How do you think I’m doing? Lying?” McCann, 78, said he didn’t think so.
Khanna, D-Calif., has emerged as one of the most prolific surrogates of the 2026 cycle. He has endorsed more than 70 candidates for seats in the House, Senate and state legislatures, positioning himself on the front lines of a burgeoning progressive movement as discontent with the status quo has propelled a series of left-wing candidates to primary victories.
But there was another reason for his vigorous political itinerary this campaign season: a possible presidential run in 2028. He wants to see the left’s power grow within the Democratic Party. He wants its policy prescriptions, such as universal healthcare and taxing the rich, to shape the conversation about who the party’s nominee for president should be.
And he knows that none of that is likely to happen if the left bombs in November.
A little 2026, and a little 2028
Despite their major wins in primaries this season, progressives’ ability to sway the general electorate in competitive races remains untested. A new poll released by The New York Times and Siena University on Sept. 15 found that a slight majority of voters disliked socialism.
In Khanna’s view, the only way the movement can change that perception is if it figures out how to talk to the working class.
Khanna, born outside Philadelphia to immigrants from India, has been preparing for his political future out in the open. In the past two months, he has taken many of the steps of an early presidential candidate.
He held a town hall with Latino voters in Nevada. He told the Democratic National Committee in a searing speech that the party needed to turn its back on corporate interests and military aid to Israel. He also ventured abroad, leading a congressional trip to the Vatican to discuss safeguards against artificial intelligence with Pope Leo XIV and visiting the West Bank, where he was detained by armed Israeli settlers.
Icons of the progressive movement, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, have been choosier with their high-profile endorsements this year. Khanna is lesser known, and has work to do to change that. The eagerness can occasionally backfire; he has expressed regret for his endorsement of Graham Platner, the Maine Democrat who withdrew his Senate bid in July after a woman accused him of rape.
“He’s hustling,” said Bill Hyers, a progressive strategist who worked with two House candidates — Kat Abughazaleh in Illinois and Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania — whom Khanna endorsed in primaries this spring. Rabb won. Abughazaleh lost.
Added Hyers: “He’s just been out there really working hard and he’s the only person on the left I have seen where there’s no doubt he’s running.”
Over five days in Pennsylvania in July, Khanna, who grew up outside Philadelphia in suburban Bucks County, rallied for two House candidates whose primary victories in May stood out as early triumphs for the progressive movement. Their very different districts illustrated both the advantages and challenges facing the progressive left this fall.
In Philadelphia, Khanna talked about liberal priorities like “Medicare for All” with Rabb, a democratic socialist who is virtually assured of victory in November in his deep-blue district. In a battleground district in Allentown, Khanna discussed tariffs and job losses with union factory workers to help the candidacy of Bob Brooks, a firefighter and labor leader who faces a more difficult path to victory in November against Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a Republican.
On behalf of both candidates, Khanna offered a similar pitch: The wealth and technological innovation of his high-income Silicon Valley district should be shared more widely. His agenda of “new economic patriotism,” he said, would spread technology jobs among Midwestern states and redistribute profits through a wealth tax.
“If we just are running on centrist mush that is put out by ChatGPT, bland and inoffensive, we’re not going to win,” Khanna told a reporter in the SUV he was riding in for the Pennsylvania swing. “It has to be a transformative vision.”
Khanna was generally well-received by an electorate in Pennsylvania that has soured on Republicans and seems increasingly willing to give Democrats another chance. But he also encountered the enduring skepticism of voters who see their leaders as having failed them.
“He comes across very progressive with his plans, but I don’t know that he’ll be able to carry them through,” said McCann, after Khanna’s conversation in Sharpsville. “This area that I live in right now is a depressed area — and anybody that gives anybody around here a vision of hope is the person they’re leaning toward. They just have that vision of hope that this might happen, and it never does.”
In an interview, Khanna said he planned to decide about 2028 between Thanksgiving and Christmas, after talking to his family and determining how viable he could be in battleground states.
His trip across Pennsylvania was intended in part to assess that. A progressive contender for president, Khanna said, would have to “do well in the Black South” and “do well in states like Pennsylvania.”
He said he was also forging bonds in southern states, including in South Carolina, where his partnership with Rep. Jim Clyburn and his daughter Jennifer Clyburn connects students at historically Black colleges and universities with scholarships from tech companies.
Khanna has recruited alumni of both progressive and establishment campaigns. He is being advised by Ron Klain, the chief of staff to former President Joe Biden, and has enlisted longtime advisers to Sanders such as Julian Mulvey and Jeff Weaver, according to a person familiar with the partnerships who requested anonymity to describe internal staffing issues.
The road ahead, plus AOC
A dismal progressive showing in November could instantly set back Khanna’s fortunes. So could something else: Ocasio-Cortez. If Ocasio-Cortez, the breakout star of the left, runs for president, she would appeal to the same liberal constituency as Khanna but with an enormous head start in popularity.
Khanna called Ocasio-Cortez an “extraordinary talent,” and dismissed the idea that she is a rival.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for her,” he said, adding, “I have genuinely never discussed what she wants to do in the future.”
Khanna said he talked with Ocasio-Cortez occasionally in the halls of the Capitol. He communicates more frequently with Sanders, speaking with him on the phone about AI and answering the senator’s queries about the chances of California voters passing a tax on billionaires this fall.
Khanna readily acknowledged that he lacked the political “star power” of his left-wing compatriots. “I’m not delusional,” he said.
His speeches are also a little heavy on policy and light on the kind of soaring rhetoric that voters often look for in a president.
That was the case in Pennsylvania, but he also tested catchphrases such as “economic patriotism,” and retail politicking seemed to come easily enough for him. One particular line, when he argued that President Donald Trump had not followed through on a simple promise — to replenish sand that had washed away along Lake Erie — got a good response from voters.
“I’ve seen a lot of clips of him online — I thought he was much more charismatic in person,” said Gideon Tsoutsouris, a college student in Pittsburgh.
Khanna portrayed his low profile as an asset, noting that other successful candidates — including former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton — began their bids as long shots. It’s an advantage, he said, “to go meet people and interact without the entourage.”
Khanna, a multimillionaire, likewise dismissed potential criticism of his wealth, which largely stems from his wife’s father, the founder of an automotive company.
“I tell people my own story of growing up middle-class in Bucks County, taking out loans for law school in my 20s, having forbearance and massive credit card debt,” Khanna said. “I think people will see that I had a middle-class life and even economic challenges.”
Hyers, the progressive strategist, said Khanna would likely face criticism for his long-standing relationships with the tech industry.
“The perception in a lot of the circles that I run in is, ‘How much money has he taken from the bad guys?’” Hyers said. (Khanna has since broken ties with many wealthy tech executives and called for taxing them more heavily.)
When Khanna’s tour rolled into Pittsburgh, he hopped around town, chatting with union leaders who are faculty members at a local university, nurses fighting for a labor contract and a group of college students.
Before addressing the students, he spoke with two groups protesting his visit on nearby street corners: the pro-Israel Beacon Coalition and the pro-business Americans for Prosperity, a creation of the conservative Koch family. One of the AFP protesters urged him to reject socialism.
The moment illustrated another challenge that Khanna would face in a presidential primary. He may be too progressive for moderates, and not progressive enough for some on the fractious left.
“I don’t believe the government should take over the means of production,” Khanna told the protesters. But, he added, many young people were turning to socialism “because they can’t afford rent, they don’t have a good job. They lost the American dream.”
To Mount Laurel, the Red Roof Inn off Route 73 could be a suitable location for more affordable housing in the township.
To Vijay Shroff, the owner, the small hotel is an investment he could hand down to his daughters.
The township has plans to condemn and demolish this hotel and eight others near Route 73 to make way for potentially 826 apartments to honor its legal commitment to build affordable housing.
Mount Laurel wouldn’t be the only municipality to reuse properties to fulfill the requirement. With the help of a developer, nearby Evesham Township acquired and demolished Marlton Crossing Garden Offices with plans to create 325 apartments, including 49 set aside for affordable housing.
Mount Laurel’s planning board has endorsed the redevelopment plans for two of the hotels, and is set to go before township council on Tuesday night.
Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell is facing an ethics investigationfor allegedly giving his business card to women he wanted to date, among other claims.
Caldwell has denied the claims and has suggested racism is a factor.
His supporters, including friends and some former colleagues, are rushing to his defense by condemning the allegations, questioning the pace of the investigation, and raising alarm about the harm to his reputation regardless of the outcome.
As the investigation drags on, Gov. Mikie Sherrill has cut back on her travel, and according to a source, has not spoken directly to Caldwell.
A Willingboro man was struck and killed in a car crash early Sunday on Route 130 in Edgewater Park Township, police said. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash is ongoing.
The first phase of Camden County’s $3.5 million pedestrian safety project along Haddon Avenue that stretches from Collingswood to Haddon Township began Monday.
Residents of Cherry Hill’s Woodcrest neighborhood recorded suspects on surveillance cameras attempting to steal from their cars, NBC10 reports.
Residents in Camden and Cherry Hill should be most prepared to take alternate routes this week in Camden County as several road projects are underway.
Three-time Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes opened a gymnastics academy in Mount Laurel, 6abc reports — her ninth in the country.
A Mount Laurel man has spent the last month cleaning up his township and has quickly garnered community support along the way, according to the Courier-Post.
🗣️ Quote of the week
Bordentown bookseller Charity Herndon says her bestsellers are those that “allow people to escape.” The Inquirer spoke to her about the region’s thriving bookstore scene.
During the whirlwind spectacle of his daughter’s Sept. 1 wedding, business leader Duvi Honig noticed his guest, Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, was sharing his business card and private cell phone number with everyone he met.
Honig said he told Caldwell to stop — he was there as a friend and he wanted him to relax and have fun. Caldwell assured him that in his role as Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s liaison to the business community, he was happy to help anyone in need, Honig recalled.
So when Honig read the news days later that Caldwell, a minister, was the subject of a monthslong ethics investigation for allegedly giving business cards to women he wanted to date, among other claims, he said he had to defend the lieutenant governor. No one else seemed to be speaking up for him, he said.
“I thought, ‘What the heck is this?’ What I witnessed — him being overly nice to everyone — is being used against him?” said Honig, a Lakewood resident and founder of the national Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce. “He is a special person. He is accessible to anyone and he has no agenda.”
Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell plays with a soccer ball at the Collingswood World Cup fan fest on July 19.Courtesy Camden County
Now that Caldwell’s name and political future are tied to an investigation — which Sherrill will not confirm but is privately being carried out by a former state attorney general — some of his friends and colleagues are rushing to his defense to answer the question: Who is Dale Caldwell?
Before the investigation became public, Sherrill, a rising star in the Democratic Party, had been hitting the road for the party’s candidates in key congressional races, transferring the gubernatorial powers and responsibilities to Caldwell when she left the state.
But she has since curtailed her travel while the investigation drags on amid Republican criticism and concerns from members of her own party, according to three veteran Democrats who were involved in her campaign or have ties to her administration who were not authorized to comment publicly.
“She is failing at the most important time” by not being able to campaign, said one veteran adviser.
The governor recently made trips to New York City for a 9/11 memorial event and a live interview with the Atlantic, but she did not make Caldwell acting governor because of an exception that allows travel across the river.
“We’re not going to speculate about the Governor’s schedule, but her priorities are always guided by the best interests of New Jerseyans,” Sherrill spokesperson Sean Higgins said in a statement.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill (right) stands beside New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani at the National September 11 Memorial in lower Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2026. Hiroko Masuike
Democratic power players have privately expressed frustration that Sherrill has left them in the dark about the probe while Republicans call for Caldwell’s resignation. Sherrill said in a statement days after the news broke that “any credible report must be fully examined and addressed.”
The veteran campaign adviser, who is close to both Caldwell and Sherrill, said the two have not spoken directly with each other as the investigation proceeds.
A senior campaign adviser, impressed with Caldwell’s resuméand “unblemished public record,” recommended the pick. It dramatically raised his public profile to new heights in a role that would entrust him to lead the state in Sherrill’s absence.
The 66-year-old divorced minister with degrees from Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania previously served as the first Black president of Centenary University. He worked as deputy commissioner of community affairs in former Democratic Gov. James McGreevey’s administration more than 20 years ago.
Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell embraces his daughter Ashley Caldwell after she introduced him at Sherrill’s election night party in East Brunswick on Nov. 4, 2025.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
He also held a seat on the New Brunswick Board of Education for nearly three decades and founded charter schools in Asbury Park and Trenton.
Last year, the state comptroller’s office interviewed Caldwell, a founder and then-board president at the College Achieve Greater Asbury Park Charter School, as part of its ongoing investigation into whether the school had violated public contract laws and misused public funds.
Caldwell is the first man and third Black person to serve as lieutenant governor. He quickly embraced the opportunity to be Sherrill’s No. 2, a campaign adviser said.
“Their dynamic [between Sherrill and Caldwell] was terrific. Reports coming back on his appearances were all very positive and they got off on a strong start on inauguration day, as far as I knew,” the adviser said.
One person close to the campaign, however, said after the election Caldwell asked others how he should do the job.
“You are there as the governor’s person. You report to the governor and chief of staff,”the source said. “He laughed. I think he was trying to do his own thing.”
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell celebrate their victory on Nov. 4, 2025, in East Brunswick.Kevin R. Wexler, Kevin R. Wexler
The investigation, sparked by at least one anonymous complaint, began more than four months ago, according to the campaign adviser.
The complaint accused Caldwell of bringing uninvited women to events andhanding his business card out to women he wanted to date. And a state employee accused him of making inappropriate comments, the New York Times reported.
Caldwell declined a request for an interview through a spokesperson. His attorney, Thomas Calgagni in Newark, did not respond to requests for comment.
Caldwell denied the allegations and suggested racism was a factor in a May 28 letter to the state’s chief ethics officer, noting that he is “the first single Black man to serve at this level in government,” and that “in this current political environment, false accusations, especially against people of color, seem to be commonplace,” which was first reported by BINJE.com.
“I have never asked anyone out on a date, ‘hit on,’ or pursued anyone romantically while conducting official business as Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State,” his letter said. “Throughout my career in government, higher education, nonprofit leadership, ministry and public service, I have consistently conducted myself professionally and respectfully.”
Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell (center) applauds as Gov. Mikie Sherrill finishes her budget address March 10 in the Assembly Chamber at the New Jersey State House.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Former congressional candidate Tim Alexander, an Atlantic County-based civil rights attorney, got to know Caldwell while working on the campaign trail for Sherrill in South Jersey last year. He sang Caldwell’s praises and said he believes he is “good for the state.”
Alexander, a former detective, said Caldwell supported his congressional bid but stepped away to avoid a conflict as the new secretary of state, which he called a “testament to his character.” The former candidate, who is Black, said he cannot believe race is a factor in the allegations without knowing more.
“Dale has impeccable credentials, and he also has Black skin. So there’s a lot that I could opine on, but when it comes to investigations, I got to leave it out. … If we have confirmation bias, it turns the investigation to trash,” he said.
Fighting back, with help
Last week, a small band of friends and colleagues spoke out to condemn the vague allegations, the snail’s pace of the investigation, and the permanent harm to Caldwell’s reputation no matter the outcome.
Felicia Simmons of Asbury Park was one of several friends to rush to Caldwell’s defense last week by questioning the legitimacy of the investigation. She helped organize one of the events in question — the Whitesboro Black History Gala, an event in April recognizing the preservation efforts of the state’s first planned Black community, located in Cape May County.
Simmons said she invited the lieutenant governor to hand out proclamations to honorees. She said she saw no questionable behavior on his part.
“It was very meaningful for him to be here,” she added.
Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell walks with Collingswood Mayor Daniela Solano-Ward in Collingswood on July 19 before reports of the investigation.Courtesy Camden County
Caldwell’s staff alerted her prior to the event that he would be bringing guests, which is not unusual because many dignitaries seldom travel alone, Simmons said.
And after all these months, no one from former Attorney General Christopher Porrino’s law firm, which is leading the probe, has spoken to her yet — even after she issued a statement criticizing investigators for not contacting her.
“I feel highly offended,” she said.
Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell (third from the right) attended the Whitesboro Black History Gala in April, at the invitation of Felicia Simmons (center). He is the target of an ethics investigation after an anonymous complaint said he acted inappropriately around women, including at this event. Simmons denies the allegation.Courtesy of Felicia Simmons
Caldwell “comes from a line of men with integrity,” noting his father marched with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., she said.
“I truly believe Gov. Mikie Sherrill made the right choice picking this man and we can’t just sit back,” Simmons said. “These awful allegations could follow him for the rest of his life.”
Albert Stark, from the Philadelphia- and Marlton-based law firm Stark & Stark, also came to Caldwell’s defense in an interview, calling him a reliable friend and public servant. Stark said Caldwell, a pioneer in bringing tennis to young Black youth, helped establish the National Junior Tennis and Learning network in Trenton.
When he first heard about the scandal, Stark said, he wondered: “Who was setting him up?”
They haven’t spoken since the investigation was publicized, he said, but he offered this advice: “‘Just be yourself. You’re a terrific guy.’ He has got nothing to be ashamed of.”
‘They are trying to destroy his integrity’
Before the investigation leaked, Caldwell spent his summer visiting with business leaders and elected officials throughout the state, including in South Jersey. Local leaders did not comment on the accusations but said they appreciated Caldwell spending time in the region.
Collingswood Mayor Daniela Solano-Ward said Caldwell visited her small borough for the second time for its World Cup fan fest. Caldwell kicked a soccer ball around with the mayor, thanked volunteers, and fist-bumped Deputy Mayor Amy Henderson Riley’s daughter. He posed with local vendors, smiled in front of a “giggle juice slushies” menu at Racoon Taproom, and chatted with kids at the All Fired Up! pottery studio.
Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell poses at Racoon Taproom in Collingswood on July 19.Courtesy Camden County
“He was kind and respectful, and seemed like he was very engaged in the things we were saying,” she said, noting that their interactions were limited.
As acting governor he visited Campbell’s and the Philadelphia 76ers training facility in Camden for an economic development tour in August, and he returned later that month for a Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey resource fair alongside Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen, a Democrat who declined to discuss Caldwell.
Thank you to @ChooseNJ and Camden Community Partnership for showing me some of the great work the City of Camden is doing to strengthen its economy and expand opportunity.
The Governor and I are committed to making sure Camden – and every community across the state – thrives. pic.twitter.com/95zIkO3KNy
— Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell (@LtGovCaldwellNJ) August 21, 2026
New Jersey Democrats have not been rushing to defend Caldwell, who has become a complicated topic for them with the extent of the allegations against him unclear.
Gerard Cleaves, a professor at Pillar College, a private evangelical Christian school in Newark, said he was angry at the Democrats who, he believes, are “out there fanning the smoke” by leaking tidbits of the investigation and not offering public support.
“They are trying to destroy his integrity,” he said.
“I am an old, white male Republican conservative who worked very hard to get [Sherrill’s GOP opponent] Jack Ciattarelli elected,” said Cleaves, who said he met the lieutenant governor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where Caldwell taught from 2018 to 2023. When Caldwell joined Sherrill’s ticket, Cleaves said, he told his colleagues they “would be hard to beat” based on Caldwell’s resumé and character.
Caldwell has not missed their Wednesday morningBible study lessons since news of investigation broke earlier this month, Cleaves said.
“He doesn’t appear stressed. He knows in his heart who he is. He has told me he will not resign. He is not going to give up,” he said.
Benjamin Franklin once said there were two certainties in life: death and taxes. Then, the Jury Selection and Service Act of 1968 codified a third: getting summoned to jury duty.
For senior folks, age could be the qualifying factor to excuse them, leaving a reader to ask Curious Philly, The Inquirer’s forum for questions about the city: Is there an age limit on serving for jury duty in Pennsylvania?
As long as you are an adult citizen, residing in Pennsylvania, and have a beating heart, frankly, the answer is no.
Anyone with an able body and mind who can read, write, and speak English and has never been convicted of a felony or crime punishable by more than a year in prison is can participate in jury duty well into their sunset years.
That said, in Pennsylvania state courts, people 75 years and older can request an exemption from fulfilling jury duty to not have to show up, under state law.
The process, however, isn’t as easy as just choosing not to appear.
Ages for excusal from jury duty
In federal courts, summoned jurors can often be excused as early as their 70th birthday, said Corey McCrea, a courts public affairs specialist.
The precise age, however, depends on the district court a person is summoned to; some may have higher or lower age requirements, McCrea said.
Septuagenarians and older citizens can request to be excused from jury duty, but can still choose to fulfill their jury service if they want to, McCrea said.
State courts also have varying ages for exemptions.
Across the river, in New Jersey, residents must be 75, like in Pennsylvania. They have to prove their date of birth to the jury management office.
But in Mississippi, people 65 years old and older can be excused, and only need to file an online form.
Folks in the state of Washington, on the other hand, need to reach 80 years old before qualifying for an age-related excuse. Even then, they need to prove they can’t serve due to health reasons through an attestation form.
Requesting an age-related excusal for jury duty in Pennsylvania
Older Pennsylvanians who are summoned for jury in state court may request to be excused, with the specific procedure varying by county.
Those summoned in federal court — the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for residents in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia Counties — must send an email to ejuror@paed.uscourts.gov within five days of getting the summons to submit their excusal request.
Change on the way?
Seven decades might soon become the rule for all Pennsylvanians, including those summoned in state court.
A new bill in the Pennsylvania General Assembly proposes to lower the jury duty age exemption for all Pennsylvanians to 70.
“When you see people that are 75 years old having trouble just walking into there, to me that’s a bring it down, bring it down to 70,” said Nancy Guenst, the Montgomery County Democrat sponsoring the bill.
Also in the headlines, four former Cheltenham football coaches were held for trial for failing to report a player’s locker room assault, a contested $4.5 million pool development project may be delayed, plus, political leaders and clergy gathered outside the Philadelphia ICE office in the wake of the suicide of a deportation officer and Cheltenham High School alum.
Capricorn Books owner Jackie Botto on Sept. 17, 2026.William Thomas Cain / For The Inquirer
Across Greater Philadelphia, bookstores are so back — mirroring a national trend of physical book sales outpacing online retail.
In Jenkintown, Capricorn Books has almost doubled its business since expanding its storefront in July, owner Jackie Botto said. Last year brought other newcomers to the local bookstore scene: an Abington outpost of Barnes & Noble, which credits BookTok with reviving the chain, and Glenside Book Garden.
Local libraries, too, are seeing a boost in patronage.
📚 Bonus: See the best books that area booksellers, including from Jenkintown and Wyncote, have read this year.
💡 Community news
In a preliminary hearing Monday, a district judge said four former Cheltenham High School football coaches failed to protect a then-15-year-old player who told them he had been assaulted twice last year by his teammates in the locker room. The victim also testified.
Pending litigation over Cheltenham Township’s $4.5 million pool contract could now take a year to resolve, potentially delaying the project.
Cheltenham police will begin using AI-enabled cameras to deter crime at a local construction site and may use them at crime hot spots and community events down the line after township commissioners signed a $35,000 contract with controversial New Jersey tech company Packetalk.
Clergy, political leaders, and activists gathered outside the Philadelphia ICE office last week following the suicide of deportation officer Joseph Moore, 38, who was a 2006 graduate of Cheltenham High School.
Democratic State Sen. Art Haywood, who has an office in Abington, is co-introducing legislation that would formally designate hazing as a mandated reportable offense. In a press release, Haywood pointed to the recent Cheltenham football case as a “mishandling of a serious disclosure of harm.”
Philadelphia man Justyn C. Wharton, 37, was sentenced to up to 25 years in a state correctional institution for repeatedly sexually assaulting a 15-year-old Jenkintown girl, according to The Pottstown Mercury.
Cheltenham police charged a suspect with robbery, simple assault, terroristic threats, and harassment after he attempted to steal a woman’s phone in the Target parking lot at 2450 Shoppers Lane.
Rose Bridge Farm in Dresher has been going viral thanks to its new Coffee and Cows morning offering, which taps into the growing wellness trend around cow cuddling. The Inquirer’s Beatrice Forman shares what it’s like to start your day with a dose of baby calves, kids (the four-hoofed kind), and caffeine during the hour-long sessions.
🏫 Schools briefing
Cheltenham School District recently appointed a new director of teaching and learning, Rachel Girman. She will need to be formally approved at the school board directors’ Oct. 13 legislative meeting, Assistant Superintendent Kendra V. Johnson said during last week’s Educational Affairs Committee meeting.
The same district is working to implement new evidence-based materials focused on literacy for K-3 students by the start of the 2027-28 school year, Kaity Ferraro, supervisor of curriculum for grades K-5, said at the meeting.
🍽️ On our plate
Wendy Stahler’s take on brisket made it onto the menu at Recipe Philly, a new Center City concept with a unique food competition model that features dishes with stories from local home chefs. The 82-year-old is a longtime member of Old York Road Temple-Beth Am in Abington, The Jewish Exponent reports.
Hand-rolled bagels, “genuine and outgoing” service, and an eclectic, worldly dinner menu ranging from a smoked arctic char spread to a faux-meatloaf platter are just some of the details that make new all-day eatery Blue Warbler the “most intriguing restaurant in years” in nearby Chestnut Hill, Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan writes.
🎳 Things to do
🌃 Night Market: Support local businesses slinging fresh produce and artisanal bites. ⏰ Tuesday, Sept. 22, 4-8 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Jenkintown town square
🎤 Labyrinth In Concert: Blast into the past for the 40th anniversary of Jim Henson’s musical fantasy film Labyrinth, shown on the big screen while a live band accompanies David Bowie’s vocals from the stage. ⏰ Friday, Sept. 25, 8 p.m. 💵 $65.59-$250.43 📍 Keswick Theatre, Glenside
🎨 Festival of the Arts: Peruse works from local artists and eats from food vendors while taking in live music and dance performances. ⏰ Sunday, Sept. 27, 1-6 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Greenwood Avenue and Leedom Street, Jenkintown
This Jenkintown dwelling, originally constructed in 1900, hit the market this month with a thorough list of home improvements, including a new roof, siding, windows, and flooring. The six-bedroom, three-bathroom space has quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, and updated cabinets in the kitchen. Each of the three bedrooms on the third floor are outfitted with new mini-split cooling units. There is an open house Sunday from noon to 2 p.m.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
A legal battle over Cheltenham Township’s pool contract has bred tension at meetings and divided some neighbors, but a township official and the suing resident’s lawyer agree on one thing: It could take a while.
The dispute centers on Cheltenham’s lease of land to a private developer for $10 per year to build a pool complex — the same land that the developer had given Cheltenham for free in December 2025.
The agreement requires the township to pay up to $4.5 million for three public pools that a new entity, Melrose Pool LLC, will construct on that land, or rent the pools from that entity. The township had hoped to open the new complex at the former Melrose Country Club by 2027 to replace the aging Conklin Pool across town. The developer, meanwhile, is building houses and a medical facility next to the new pools.
But Cheltenham resident Sam Thacker sued in July, and he argues that the ground lease was in fact a public construction contract and should be subject to a bidding process to determine the best provider.
Cheltenham has argued that the township received estimates for replacing pools on other properties, and therefore determined that $4.5 million is a good deal for the Melrose project.
The litigation has reached a stage that could take a year to resolve, Thacker’s lawyer said. And whether construction continues alongside the suit may depend on whether a court grants an injunction Thacker filed last week to halt the project. A long delay may scuttle the entire pool project, a township official said.
Where the suit stands
Thacker’s injunction request was denied by a judge last month who found he lacked standing, but he has appealed to Commonwealth Court.
It could take six months to hear the case, said Thacker’s lawyer, Christopher McCabe, who specializes in construction and government contracts, and a year to get a decision.
Thacker, who was representing himself until he hired McCabe this month after raising more than $6,000 from dozens of donors in a GoFundMe campaign, also filed a new injunction with the higher court to halt pool construction in the meantime.
A long delay could mean the new pools do not happen, Township Commissioner Emily Cheramie Walz wrote in a social media post last week after delivering the same remarks at the Sept. 16 commissioner meeting.
“There is a real risk that continued litigation could jeopardize the funding and timeline for the Melrose project,” Cheramie Walz wrote. “Families across the township who were excited about having a new pool could lose that opportunity.”
Cheramie Walz’s comments echoed part of Cheltenham’s legal defense in the case, that halting the project would cause more harm to township residents than allowing the project to proceed — an argument the lower court judge agreed with.
But McCabe asserted in the emergency injunction request filed last week that that logic does not hold up, because the Melrose agreement is a no-bid construction contract disguised as a land rental.
“Then every municipality would simply argue that the object of an illegal contract will be greatly beneficial to their residents and the taxpayers,” McCabe wrote, and residents would be unable to stop an illegal contract.
When the developer, an entity associated with BG Capital, gave 2.7 acres to the township last winter, the document referred to an unspecified “advantage” that the developer would receive by gifting the land to Cheltenham.
Amee Farrell, a lawyer for the developer and a former chair of the township’s zoning board, has not answered questions about what the developer expected to gain from the land gift.
“If [Cheltenham] owns the land free and clear, what prevented them … from putting out a request for bids?” McCabe said Monday. “You don’t know whether there was corruption here because you don’t know what the discussions were.”
An ongoing topic at public meetings
Although the township has repeatedly declined to comment on the details of the ground lease because of the lawsuit, Cheramie Walz addressed the subject of the suit directly in her post last week.
“There is no secret no-bid deal,” she wrote. “We have spent an embarrassing amount of time and public resources dealing with this litigation — resources that could be going toward the work residents actually expect us to be doing.”
Some residents have also expressed frustration over the suit and the controversy.
“We want new centers for community to grow and businesses to develop and thrive,” resident Nick Steever said. “The bidding process isn’t what certain people are upset about, but rather the fact that [Conklin] Pool is closing.”
Thacker and the township commissioners have exchanged tense words during public comment. When Thacker spoke at a Sept. 14 committee meeting, Cheramie Walz asserted that Thacker’s lawyer had told officials they should not speak directly to Thacker, so they would not.
McCabe said Monday that he had told Cheltenham’s lawyers to communicate with him, not Thacker, now that he had legal representation, and was not referring to all township officials.
Thacker said Monday that any delay or waste is on the township.
“They are the ones who executed a no-bid construction contract,” he said. “I do not bear any responsibility for the costs incurred as they dig deeper into defending it.”
Correction: This story was updated to reflect the status of Thacker’s case.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
After another high-wire financial rescue from the state, SEPTA leaders are determined to flip their script in the transit funding debate from warning of calamity to showing what the system could be with more investment.
“I wanted to get away from the doom and gloom message,” SEPTA general manager Scott A. Sauer told The Inquirer.
The transit system has been chronically underfunded, but “we never pivoted to ‘Imagine what we could be if we got more than just enough,’” Sauer said.
And so on Tuesday, SEPTA is putting out “Accelerate,” its strategic vision for the next decade with investments in a new trolley fleet with stations instead of corner stops, new subway cars for the El, and a reimagined Regional Rail service with more frequent service on critical lines, many in the city.
When those and other, smaller changes are in place, SEPTA says two million people in the region will be within a quarter mile of frequent transit service — up from 900,000 today — and 100% of all trips will go through an accessible station. Today only about 60% of rail and subway stations are accessible.
It’s an ambitious goal, and that’s deliberate, Sauer said.
“You can inspire people to action when you show them what they could get for their investment,” he said.
The idea for a message shift developed as SEPTA representatives and supporters advocated for more state funding last year and lawmakers said that they didn’t have a concrete picture of what SEPTA wants to be and what that would take.
Instead of a demand, the report is framed as a menu of choices for legislators, local officials, business leaders, and the public.
SEPTA projects a structural operating deficit of $192 million in the coming fiscal year. If the state meets that, current levels of service would be preserved along with some improvements.
Beyond that — including a plan to reorganize Regional Rail so trains run every 15 minutes on lines in the city and some suburbs — would require more funding. As would making 50 old stations ADA accessible.
“If you ask me how much do you need, I would say I need enough to do what the people want us to do,” Sauer said.
Last year, Harrisburg lawmakers and the Shapiro administration failed for the third straight year to agree on a steady source of new state funding for SEPTA and other transit agencies.
The transit agency also says it has found about $30 million in annual savings, as well as increased income from advertising, parking, and real estate, and a spike in ridership during a busy summer of big events.
Sauer said SEPTA needs to chip away at changes right away, using what’s at hand, rather than waiting to accomplish a big project in a decade.
“We can’t have everything all at once, so we are trying to move methodically,” he said. “We have to show people continual improvement.”
Philadelphia police responding to a reported shooting found a teen fatally wounded inside a mini-market Monday night in the Summerdale section of the Lower Northeast.
Around 8:45 p.m., 2nd District police found the 18-year-old lying unresponsive in the customer takeout area of the store at the corner of Marcella Street and Summerdale Avenue, said Chief Inspector Scott Small.
The victim, who was described by store employees as a regular customer, was transported by police to Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:59 p.m.
Police found one spent shell casing next to the man’s body inside the store, and at least 25 outside on the sidewalk and on Summerdale Avenue, Small said.
Stray bullets pierced two separate second-floor windows of nearby residences.
“Although the occupants were very shaken up, nobody was struck,” Small said.
Also nearby, police found a Nissan sedan that had hit several parked cars. The two driver-side doors were open and the engine was still running, Small said.
The car, which was considered part of the crime scene, did not have bullet holes, Small said.
Flights into Philadelphia International Airport were grounded for much of the day Monday due to a stop instituted by the Federal Aviation Administration that impacted hundreds of flights in the Northeast in the wake of equipment outages.
Incoming flights were briefly allowed to resume at one point, but were again halted a short time later, according to the FAA’s airspace system status. The ground stop was again lifted at about 5 p.m. Monday.
As of late Monday afternoon, PHL had experienced about 400 delays and 200 cancellations, according to data from flight tracking website FlightAware. Some airlines were allowing their customers to change flights without fees. The FAA advised travelers to check the status of their flights with their airline before heading to the airport.
On Monday night, arrivals and departures at Philadelphia were still delayed by an average of at least two hours, according to Flighty, the popular flight-tracking app.
During the stops, FAA said planes departing from a U.S. airport and heading to PHL should remain on the ground. At times, flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Bergen County’s Teterboro Airport were also affected.
The ground stop came after a circuit failed at an air traffic control tower in Philadelphia, and officials found that a line from a backup system was cut at a construction site in New Jersey, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. The technical problems happened at the same FAA facility in Philadelphia that caused numerous disruptions at Newark Liberty International Airport in spring 2025.
“Unfortunately, that circuit failed today,” Bedford said at a Monday news conference. “And when it went to flip into the backup, we discovered that the backup fiber had a break, and that fiber break is probably 13 hours to repair.”
Bedford described the break as “massive,” and said it consisted of about 600 feet of fiber line somewhere between New Brunswick and Newark. It was not immediately clear when the break in the fiber line for the backup occurred, he said.
Verizon said contractors had dug up and cut the cable that runs along the Amtrak rail line in New Jersey. The company said in a statement that its technicians were racing to get the cable fixed.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the ground stop showed the need for more funding to modernize infrastructure.
“This is not shocking to us,” Duffy said. “It’s an old system that we’re stuck working with.”
The FAA on Monday also began testing a new computer system that uses AI to help predict schedule conflicts and weather issues, but it did not appear to be linked to the outage because it was only being tested in the Washington, D.C., area.
Inquirer staff writer Robert Moran contributed to this article, which also contains information from the Associated Press.
