Pennsylvania Criminal Defense

In our last blog post, we detailed Pennsylvania’s heat of passion defense and how it would likely come up if charges were filed over a thwarted kidnapping. Here, we’ll explain the differences between...

An attempted kidnapping in Philadelphia led to a string of events that perfectly illustrates one of the defenses to a serious violent crime: that the defendant acted in the “heat of passion.” Kidnapping Thwarted...

In a clear attempt to undermine the progress of criminal justice reform, Pennsylvania lawmakers have passed a bill that singles out Philadelphia’s progressive district attorney in all but name and strips him of significant...

Even though the person who accused Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera of assault has stopped cooperating with prosecutors, Major League Baseball (MLB) still decided to suspend him without pay for the rest of...

The criminal charges against Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera have been dropped after the alleged victim refused to pursue the case. Developments like these are especially common in alleged domestic...

Burglary is a very specific criminal offense with several important elements that can be difficult for prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Challenging the evidence that prosecutors use to prove those elements of...

News reports in Philadelphia covered an apparent arson in Pine Hill, New Jersey: a playground had caught fire, and the flames spread to a nearby concession stand. While police have not yet ruled it arson and the incident happened...

A motorcyclist is likely going to be charged with several offenses after allegedly fleeing from a traffic stop. The incident could lead to especially steep charges if there was evidence that the motorcyclist was driving under...

Conspiracy charges are some of the least understood criminal offenses on the books in Pennsylvania. Some people are shocked to learn that they could face criminal penalties for conspiracy when they did not even participate in the...

Federal law enforcement recently made one of the biggest cocaine busts in the history of the Eastern Seaboard when they seized a cargo ship at a Philadelphia port. The criminal charges for drug trafficking that are...

A mother in the Philadelphia area has been charged with child endangerment after police claim she left her two-year-old daughter in a car for over two hours. The girl died from the incident. Details surrounding the...

Police in Philadelphia are investigating a situation where a 60-year-old man was apparently killed by his roommate in South Philadelphia. Unlike in many other states, both the relationship between the two roommates and the...

Philadelphia police are looking for a group of teenagers who allegedly assaulted a man in Old City. The situation illustrates an important lesson about the criminal law in Pennsylvania: you can face a charge for...

A local woman was arrested in Nashville for allegedly trashing an Airbnb during a bachelorette party, raising the issue of whether intoxication can be a valid or a strong defense to a criminal charge. Woman Admits to Trashing...

Protesters in Philadelphia are calling for hundreds of the city’s police officers to be pulled from the streets and assigned to desk duty after their racist and inflammatory posts on social media were posted for all to see....

Local officials in Philadelphia have taken steps to follow up on their promise to enforce the city’s illegal dumping laws by installing cameras in areas that are known dumping grounds. They are also promising to vigorously...

A member of the Philadelphia Phillies has been arrested and accused of assaulting what appears to have been his girlfriend at an Atlantic City casino in New Jersey. Fortunately, Major League Baseball, unlike most other employers,...

A suspected shoplifter in Woodbridge Mall allegedly stabbed a security guard while trying to get away with stolen goods. While the incident actually happened in New Jersey, the picture it paints sheds light on an...

A man in Delaware County is facing a charge of drug delivery resulting in death – a relatively new crime in Pennsylvania that is a classic example of how reaction legislation often leads to terrible results. Philadelphia Man...

Philadelphia will see a new city sheriff after the incumbent, Jewell Williams, was ousted in the Democratic primary by challenger Rochelle Bilal. While the effects of the change are not likely to significant –...