Category Archives: Criminal Defense
What Happens If You Get Arrested For An Unrelated Crime While You Are Out On Bond?
It is possible to face criminal charges for two unrelated offenses at the same time. Even though the Bill of Rights guarantees the right to a speedy trial, the time between the initial arrest and the trial. Judges have the option to set defendants whose cases are pending free until their trial dates, to… Read More »
You Can Get Child Endangerment Charges If You Fail To Seek Medical Treatment For Children
Keeping children away from safety hazards is a big job. Once babies learn to crawl, keeping them away from all the hot, sharp, and poisonous things in the room, even if these hazards are ordinary household items that are harmless to anyone old enough to have the common sense that babies lack, requires almost… Read More »
Do You Automatically Get A Prison Sentence If You Violate Your Probation?
Some prosecutors, judges, defendants, and family members of defendants see probation as an alternative to mass incarceration. While a probation sentence is a major improvement over spending an equivalent length of time behind bars, it is not a perfect solution. Even though probation enables defendants to avoid interruptions to their employment, it is still… Read More »
You Can Be Convicted Of Child Endangerment Even If The Children Did Not Get Hurt
When your family members accuse you of child endangerment, there is usually less evidence to persuade a jury that you are guilty of endangering the welfare of children and more evidence that your relatives should butt out of your business. Despite what your ex-wife might think, letting your children swim in your above ground… Read More »
What Happens If You Do Not Come Back To Court After Being Released On Bail?
If you get arrested and then released, you have avoided the worst-case scenario, namely being held in jail until your plea hearing or trial. The best-case scenario is that, after arresting you, the police realize that they have no grounds on which to charge you with a crime, so they simply let you go,… Read More »
Sellersville Couple Charged With Endangering The Welfare Of Children
Free range parenting has its outspoken partisans, but how little supervision can you provide for children before you get into trouble with the law? Pennsylvania does not have specific rules about the age at which children can stay home alone or the length of time they can stay at home without an adult. Likewise,… Read More »
Philadelphia Parents Face Child Endangerment Charges After Leaving Young Children Unsupervised
Young children often imagine that staying home alone will be fun and exciting; movies like Home Alone and books like The Cat in the Hat certainly make it look that way. When kids ask if they can stay home alone, though, parents explain that it is not as much fun as the kids think… Read More »
Parole Officer’s Visit Leads To Arrest Of Two Housemates On Two Different Charges
Being out of prison on parole is a big improvement over being behind bars, and we Pennsylvanians should count our blessings; 16 states do not even have parole. When you are on parole, however, you are under at least as much scrutiny as people who are on probation. Not only can the judge tell… Read More »
Is It Worthwhile To Post Bail?
It is a commonly held misconception that you are only allowed to make one phone call from jail. In fact, in an environment where everything you say can and will be used against you, it is to prosecutors’ advantage if you make multiple phone calls and go into details about the events and emotions… Read More »
An End To Sentencing Disparities Between Crack Cocaine And Powder Cocaine?
In the 1980s, politicians and the media aimed to make people afraid of crack cocaine, and they succeeded. Elementary school students in the 80s received lessons in health class about the dangers of drugs. Some of the drugs seemed perfectly harmless; most kids had seen their neighbors, if not their own parents, drinking alcohol… Read More »