Pennsylvania Criminal Defense

Recently, the Pennsylvania State Board of Pardons returned a split decision regarding the clemency of 42-year-old inmate, Felix Ocasio. Twenty-two years ago, Ocasio was sentenced to between about 39 years and 78 years behind bars,...

When should an individual seek clemency for the crime they were convicted of? It might surprise you to learn that the leader of a large drug organization is actively seeking clemency from the state of Pennsylvania. At first...

Pennsylvania Protection from Abuse Orders (PFAs) are put into place by Pennsylvania judges. That said, just because the PFA was made in a Pennsylvania court doesn’t mean it won’t apply to people who live out of state....

Marsy’s Law is a law that originated in California and has since been adopted in numerous states. Advocates of Marsy’s Law seek to provide victims of crimes with rights equal to those accused of committing the crime....

Protection from Abuse Orders (PFAs) are meant to protect victims of domestic violence in emergency situations. Those who have a PFA ordered against them may be subject to any number of restrictions that will severely impact their...

The local Pittsburgh news recently reported that the Greene County DA’s wife took out a Protection from Abuse Order (PFA) against him. In arguing for the PFA, the wife accused her husband of abusing his family after becoming...

Now that the courts have sealed or expunged your criminal records, your employment prospects and other opportunities should have improved immensely. But commercial online websites may have already harvested mugshots and arrest...

“Clean Slate” Law Offers Second Chance You did the crime. You did the time. You paid restitution to your victims. Should you be burdened with a criminal record for the rest of your life? That depends upon the nature of the...

Accused does not mean guilty. Temporary protection from abuse (PFA) orders are usually based solely on the plaintiff’s ex parte allegations. The defendant has the right to dispute those allegations at a PFA hearing. Men are...

Part One: Two PFAs That Failed to Protect There is no such thing as a bulletproof restraining order. It’s “just a piece of paper,” according to Circuit Court Judge Marissa McDermott of Lake County, Illinois. “In...

What are you in prison for? For being stupid. Daniel Justin Miller, 47, of Williamsport, PA, is going to have a long time to regret his decision to violate the protection from abuse (PFA) order he received on December 1st. Instead...

Shot by State Trooper A father who broke a protection-from-abuse (PFA) order was shot and killed by a Pennsylvania State Trooper on Nov. 7 while resisting arrest, according to a terse press release from the State Police. At...

In what could be a harbinger of national policy, the Associated Press reported Oct. 7 the Democratic governors of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York have signed a 10-page agreement to share gun-crime information....

A Pennsylvania Superior Court has ruled on an appeal challenging the constitutionality of a protection-from-abuse (PFA) order. Manjinder Singh argued that a final PFA court order against him violated his First Amendment right to...

An Illustrative Case A recent case against a Greene County district attorney shows how swiftly and surely gun surrender works under Pennsylvania protection from abuse (PFA) orders. An initial news report of the case indicates that...

Usually, only public prosecutors have the authority to file a criminal complaint, based on evidence that police gather. But when a defendant violates a Pennsylvania Protection from Abuse (PFA) order, private persons can bring...

The mother of two young girls who were slain by their father has sued Chief Timothy Damon of the York Area Regional Police of Pennsylvania. The woman, who has not been named by authorities, claimed Damon “blocked” for 18...

Robert Vicosa, 42, a fired Baltimore County police officer, and Tia Bynum, his female accomplice, allegedly falsely imprisoned Vicosa’s estranged wife at gunpoint Friday, Nov. 12, in his Windsor Township home in...

Simply put, ghost guns are firearms without serial numbers. These weapons—from handguns to assault rifles—are virtually untraceable by law enforcement. Gun manufacturers are required by the federal Gun Control Act of 1968 to...

Contrary to what people might think, ex-offenders still face employment discrimination despite the labor shortage caused by the pandemic. For ex-offenders who qualify, expungement or sealing their criminal records might be the key...