Pennsylvania courts operate on strict schedules, and your presence is not optional once a hearing or trial date has been set. The consequences that follow depend on several factors, including the type of case and how quickly you respond. The penalties of missing a...
Buying a gun for a friend or family member might seem like a small favor. However, Pennsylvania and federal law treat this act as a major crime. A straw purchase occurs when you buy a firearm on behalf of someone else but list yourself as the actual buyer on the...
Is a loaded gun in your car a criminal offense in Pennsylvania? If you keep a loaded gun in your car without a valid Pennsylvania license to carry firearms, you risk criminal charges. Officers have the right to inspect your vehicle and file charges if you fail to show...
Fraternity hazing can be a violent and sometimes deadly activity. As the problem has grown more serious, states (including Pennsylvania) have enacted specific laws to address hazing. Last fall, two former Pennsylvania State University (PSU) students pled guilty to 14...
It’s easy to feel pressured to answer when the police start asking questions about a criminal investigation. You might worry that staying silent makes you look guilty, but it doesn’t. The law is quite clear on this. You have the right to remain silent, and exercising...
A straw purchase refers to a scenario where one person buys a firearm for someone else. The person who makes the purchase never intends to keep the weapon, but transfers it immediately to the other party. This label doesn’t apply in all situations. There are some...
With many criminal charges, you actually have to commit the crime to be arrested. You’re not going to get arrested for thinking about drunk driving, for example. You actually have to be in control of the vehicle when the police demonstrate that you are over the legal...
You hear a knock on the door and you look out the front window before opening it. There’s a police car sitting in the driveway, so you know that an officer is likely standing on your front step. You open the door just a crack to talk to them. The officer tells you...
When there’s an emergency, people will sometimes do things they wouldn’t do otherwise. They may bend or break the rules as they try to react to this emergency. In some cases, people will even decide that they’re going to break the law, which they never would’ve done...
Mitigating factors, also known as extenuating circumstances, are facts that relate to a crime or a convicted defendant and support the argument for leniency. These factors are presented in court to reduce someone’s sentence after a conviction. For example, imagine...