Pennsylvania Criminal Defense

It’s not a good idea, but it’s not a crime in Pennsylvania to run away from a police officer who is detaining or arresting you. That may change soon. “It is not your right to put the public and that police officer in...

Even Sealed, a PFA Is Forever The light from a rising star in the Republican Party is faltering as allegations of domestic violence taint the reputation of Sean Parnell, a Pennsylvania candidate for the U.S. Senate....

In September 2021, four Pennsylvania teens were arrested and face criminal charges after police discovered they were plotting an attack on their school to mark the 25th anniversary of the Massacre at Columbine High School....

Gun rights activists have won an important, precedent-setting victory from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. While not deciding on the merits of Firearm Owners Against Crime (FOAC) v. City of Harrisburg, the court ruled Oct. 20 in...

In Part 1  of our discussion on the PBS mini-series The Power of a Pardon, we discussed ongoing efforts to reform the Pennsylvania pardon process and the life-changing effects on three formerly incarcerated people. In Part 2...

Pardons are life-changing, and in the PBS mini-series The Power of a Pardon, viewers observe firsthand the compelling stories of formerly incarcerated individuals and their journeys through the Pennsylvania pardon process. For...

The behavior that culminates in the issuance of a PFA (Protection from Abuse) Order in Pennsylvania is typically criminal in nature. For example, in a recently reported incident, a woman menacingly followed her ex-partner’s...

Legislation now moving through the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania would significantly reform the state probation system for convicted defendants. Nonviolent offenders and those not incarcerated for sex crimes...

Few scenarios play out more frustratingly than domestic disturbance issues. No one is immune to family tensions, and sometimes those tensions can escalate into violent violations of the law. Once the courts get involved in a...

In a rare show of bipartisan support, Republicans and Democrats of the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved SB 913. The intent of the proposed legislation is to “minimize punishments for technical...

Although medical marijuana has been legal in the state of Pennsylvania for a few years now, legislators are still playing catch up as to how this medicinal drug impacts other areas of PA law. At least one change may be on the...

Emotional support animals are everywhere: From coffee shops to cross-country flights, it seems there is almost no place a comfort dog can’t go. As of late, comfort dogs have even shown up in the PA criminal courts. As...

Constitutional protections always seem to be at issue when dealing with criminal law. There is a constant struggle between two general camps, one in favor of individual rights and liberties and one in favor of police and...

The Harsh Reality of Repeat Offender Laws A Pennsylvania man was arrested, charged with a felony, and jailed on a $50,000 cash-only bond after underpaying a convenience store for one 20-ounce bottle of Mountain Dew....

PFAs are serious and come with strict rules that apply regardless of your profession, education, or income level. For example, Pennsylvania State Representative Kevin Boyle was recently arrested for violating a PFA order that had...

In July, a former state representative from Pennsylvania was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to theft and fraud charges. The lawmaker was accused of using the credit card of his mother’s caregiver...

When actors, musicians, reality-show stars, and other celebrities become recognizable household names, they discover exactly how high the price of fame can be. Dealing with paparazzi is par for the course, but when an overzealous...

Restraining orders and Protection from Abuse orders (PFAs) are difficult, often emotionally jarring cases for all parties involved. Although these orders serve their purpose by helping protect victims of domestic violence, they...

Pennsylvanian legislators have proven willing to pioneer justice reform. A data-driven dashboard is now tracking prisoners’ and parolees’ ethnic and racial profiles in the name of reform. The goal of the dashboard: To...

Protection from Abuse (PFA) orders often include firearm restrictions. To help you understand what a PFA with firearm restrictions means for you, here’s a look at what happens to guns seized in PFA cases. Are Guns Always...