The U.S. Constitution offers several protections for citizens and residents alike. Specifically, The 4th Amendment protects you from unreasonable search and seizure. This means that the police cannot search your property without a valid warrant or reasonable cause for...
Criminal Defense
Do you have a duty to retreat when someone hits you?
Someone directly threatened you either with their words or their actions, and you fought back to defend yourself. However, now you find yourself facing assault allegations. The state claims you acted with malicious intent when your actions are not intended to harm...
Should you testify in your criminal trial?
If you are indicted and charged with a crime, you need to figure out how to defend yourself. One of the options you can consider testifying in your own trial. But, is this the best choice? You are not required to testify in your own criminal trial. In fact, the Fifth...
Why would someone make false domestic violence accusations?
You’ve been accused of domestic violence, and you know that you didn’t do anything wrong. Maybe there was an argument or something of this nature, but you never broke the law and you never harmed anyone. You’re certainly interested in what this is going to mean for...
What will a criminal defense attorney do for you?
One of the things you need to do if you have been accused of committing a crime is to talk to someone about your legal rights. After you find out that you’re part of an investigation or you have been arrested, you need to make sure you take steps to protect yourself....
How do plea bargains work?
Defendants in criminal cases of all kinds take plea deals all the time – and prosecutors encourage them. For the defendant, a plea deal can mean an end to the uncertainties about the criminal process and a new path forward. It can also be a wise decision when the...
Why you can’t always believe DNA evidence
Call it the “CSI effect,” or call it a general willingness to believe that science can give people the answer to anything, but people tend to think that genetic evidence – especially DNA – is absolute. It’s really not all that simple. DNA evidence can be wrong. ...
Fentanyl hysteria leads to unreasonable punishments
Maybe you’ve seen the dramatic headlines (or the even more dramatic videos) of officers writhing in agony after accidental exposure to fentanyl during a drug bust. A lot of drug addicts (and a few dealers) are now serving additional prison time as a result of these...
What are the consequences of a domestic violence conviction?
Domestic violence is considered a crime of abuse in Pennsylvania. According to Pennsylvania Statutes, Title 23, Sections 6102 and 6113, some of the crimes that a suspect may be charged with stemming from such an incident include stalking, assault, sexual abuse or rape...
Could you get arrested just for having a gun in your vehicle?
The right to bear and own firearms is one of the most basic civil rights protected by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The language of the Second Amendment sometimes makes people think that no laws or restrictions whatsoever impact their use or...