Burglary in Pennsylvania is always a felony. How first- and second-degree burglary differ, the possible penalties, how it compares with trespass and robbery, and common defenses.
Opioid and fentanyl charges in Erie County range from simple possession to drug delivery resulting in death. The penalties, the Good Samaritan law, and treatment-based alternatives like Treatment Court.
What your rights are during a police stop, search, questioning, and arrest in Erie, Pennsylvania, and how to use them without making things worse.
What happens after a DUI arrest in Erie County, from charges and the preliminary hearing to ARD, PennDOT suspensions, and sentencing.
One might think that DUI felony charges are hard to battle and they actually are, but it’s also not impossible to turn things a little bit favorable to your side to at the very least lessen the impact of what’s to come.
One might think that DUI felony charges are hard to battle and they actually are, but it’s also not impossible to turn things a little bit favorable to your side to at the very least lessen the impact of what’s to come.
There are four police mistakes that can save you a lot of trouble and get your charges dismissed when you’re facing claims or allegations of a crime. However, you will need the assistance of a criminal defense attorney in Erie, PA, to find these mistakes and get your case discharged.
Most people know the laws in their home state and know what to expect if arrested for a DUI/DWI. But, when this happens out of state, the laws are certainly different than in your home state and you may wonder how to handle the process.
Pennsylvania law only uses the term DUI. Learn how the three BAC tiers work, first-offense penalties, what happens if you refuse a test, ignition interlock, and ARD.
Charged with a DUI in Pennsylvania but live in New York, Ohio, or another state? Or a PA driver charged elsewhere? How your license, court dates, and ARD work.
What to look for in an Erie criminal defense lawyer, the questions to ask in a free consultation, warning signs, and when to hire one.
Pennsylvania often increases its sobriety checkpoints at certain points of each year. They do this during seasons when there tends to be more drivers on the road like summer. If you aren’t careful, you can easily get caught driving under the influence through any of these checkpoints.
When you receive a court summons at a specific date, you don’t want to miss it. It can be an intimidating place, but you are legally obligated to make an appearance. If you don’t do it, you may end up in more dire circumstances than you started.
The majority of young individuals don’t realize the impact that an underage drinking citation in Pennsylvania can have on them. While summary offenses are not on the same level as felony or misdemeanor charges, repeat convictions can prove to be problematic in the future.
You can represent yourself on a DUI in Pennsylvania, but it is risky. What a lawyer does, whether you need one for a first offense, and your options if you cannot afford one.
Lawyers and Defense Attorneys are similar in what they provide to their clients when it comes to legal proceedings. The main difference is that not all lawyers can perform the duties of attorneys — which is conducting business outside the court.
Under Pennsylvania open container law, possession of an open container of alcohol while on the roadway is considered illegal. Both driver and passenger caught violating this law may be cited for violations.
Acquiring fake identification in Pennsylvania is prevalent mostly among people under the age of 21. Pennsylvania has enforced strict laws against using fake IDs. Find out more here.
A DUI conviction in Pennsylvania is a criminal record, not a traffic ticket. What it means for your record, the fines by tier and offense, and ways to avoid or limit a conviction.
Pennsylvania has never been a state known to go easy on DUI offenders. The cost of an ignition interlock device for many is very high and may hurt the bank account initially. Regardless, it is much better than the alternative route.
SCRAM Bracelets are an effective way to monitor DUI offenders and used more frequently as a bargaining tool. It is entirely at the judge’s discretion to determine who will wear a one and the duration it will be worn.
In Pennsylvania, any detectable amount of THC or its metabolite in your blood can support a DUI, even with a medical marijuana card. How the law works, the penalties, and common defenses.
Effective communication with the client also means listening effectively, which involves spending one-on-one time to ensure there is a total understanding of the process. Here are five district ways on how you can have better communication with your lawyer.
Pennsylvania DUI law has changed significantly since 2018: felony grading for repeat DUIs, tougher penalties for DUI-related suspensions and homicide by vehicle, the 2025 Shifflett ruling on ARD, and Act 58’s new DUI following diversion offense.
Under Pennsylvania law, you must have control of the vehicle to face driving under influence (DUI) charges. However, passengers could face a number of DUI related charges.
Pennsylvania is extremely harsh and resilient when it comes to drinking and driving laws, and if you are found guilty of DUI accident charges, you can face severe penalties.
While being charged with any crime is not ideal, being charged with a felony offense with having a more lasting and significant impact on your life than a misdemeanor.
In the United States, the legal system addresses crimes in two different case types, civil and criminal. Crimes are actions or omissions that can be prosecuted accordingly by the state and punishable by law.
There is a sharp difference between a misdemeanor and a felony. A misdemeanor is a less severe crime, and a felony is the most severe crime category that a person can commit.
The holidays should be a time of enjoying family, giving, and celebrating together. Often, this involves becoming impaired and can lead to disaster.
Driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while impaired (DWI) Erie PA are both serious infractions that can have lasting effects and lead to jail time.
Most people ask this question out of concern for what the offense may mean when it comes to acquiring or keeping a job. With that, you must understand that how a charge impacts your record generally falls into four categories.
The short answer, in many instances, is probably not. The long answer as you might expect, is it depends. It depends on the county in which you were charged because in most instances the more rural the county the more likely the Commonwealth is to be seeking a penalty of incarceration.
A summary offense, even “Non-Traffic” summaries like Public Intoxication, Disorderly Conduct, and Harassment can be very different from criminal offenses which manifest themselves in the form of a Misdemeanor or a Felony. To be honest, jail is extremely unlikely for a non-traffic summary.
It’s 2017. The world today is very different than the one I or my parents grew up in. Hours spent playing cards, hide and go seek, and baseball have gone the way of the dinosaurs. Those activities have been replaced by our obsession with any one of a myriad of electronic devices.
Have you ever been convicted in any Court of a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could have imprisoned you for more than one year, even if you received a shorter sentence including probation?
Within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in order for law enforcement to search a vehicle they have generally needed to have both probable cause and exigent circumstances. That all changed in April of 2014. It’s a three year old case, but the impact the case has had on the criminal justice world has been significant.
