No one in Potter County, Pennsylvania gets out of bed thinking they will be arrested and charged with a criminal offense, but it happens to good people every day. If you're one of them, you must take immediate action to defend yourself. The consequences of a criminal conviction can permanently alter your life's timeline and haunt you for decades after you've served your time. With that said, you are innocent until proven guilty.
Have you been arrested in Potter County? Criminal convictions for misdemeanor offenses can destroy your reputation and complicate your life in a myriad of ways. Felony convictions carry even stronger punishments, including years of incarceration and hefty fines. That's why exercising your constitutional rights by hiring an experienced, skilled attorney is vitally important, regardless of the charges. Call the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team at 888.535.3686 or contact us online.
How Pennsylvania Classifies Criminal Offenses
Pennsylvania's Criminal Code has three separate classifications for criminal offenses.
- Summary Offenses
- Misdemeanors
- Felonies
Summary Offenses
Summary offenses, which are frequently referred to as “non-traffic offenses,” are the least serious violations. Under most circumstances, summary offenses are adjudicated in preliminary hearings at the Magistrate level. With that said, summary offense convictions carry jail terms of up to 90 days and/or fines. They also become part of your criminal record.
Misdemeanors
Misdemeanors are the next level up in seriousness from summary offenses. Though you may commonly hear the severity of these crimes downplayed on television shows, they are still criminal offenses that carry one to five years in prison and fines of up to $10,000.
Common examples of misdemeanors include:
- Moving Violations (e.g., driving without a license, speeding)
- Crimes against property (e.g., shoplifting, vandalism)
- Possession of certain narcotics in quantities typical of personal use
Misdemeanor cases are typically heard in the Court of Common Pleas after you've completed a preliminary hearing after your arrest. Don't take misdemeanor offenses lightly. Something as minor as moving violations can impact your career options if, for example, you want to hold a commercial driver's license or already have one.
Felonies
The most serious crimes you can be charged with in Potter County are felonies. These cases are heard in the Potter County Court of Common Pleas after your preliminary hearing. Felonies are grouped into three degrees, with third-degree being the most serious and third-degree being the least serious. Every felony conviction in Pennsylvania will result in substantial prison terms.
Felony punishments range from a minimum of seven years (third-degree) to 20 years (first-degree), and they can also include fines ranging from $15,000 to $20,000. The punishment for felony convictions extends further than the prison sentence. Felony convictions on your record will prohibit you from holding numerous professional licenses and endanger your child custody rights. You will also be barred from owning any firearms.
Examples of felony offenses include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Violent offenses (e.g., aggravated assault, murder, attempted murder)
- Serious vehicular offenses (e.g., reckless driving resulting in death or injury, DUI cases for repeat offenders, or accidents involving death or injury)
- Drug offenses (e.g., possession of certain drugs, possession of drugs with intent to distribute, manufacturing drugs)
The gravity of the punishment and the life-long consequences of felony convictions make your choice of counsel critical. The LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team has successfully represented clients in felony cases all over Pennsylvania, including Potter County. We will carefully analyze every aspect of your case and formulate a legal strategy that maximizes your chances of an acquittal.
After Arrest and Before Trial
The period between your arrest and trial includes several key stages in your case. Your first appearance in court will be at a pre-trial hearing known as a preliminary arraignment. This hearing will be supervised by a District Judge, who does the following:
- Hear the formal charges against you
- Decide whether you qualify for bail
- Determine what amount (if any) your bail will be
- Establish any other conditions for pre-trial release (e.g., house arrest, surrendering your passport)
The Judge in your preliminary arraignment also does an initial review of the prosecution's evidence against you. If they do not believe that the evidence supports your arrest or is insufficient for the prosecution to proceed to trial, the District Court Judge can dismiss your case. This is the first opportunity for the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team to positively impact your case.
We will argue for the lowest bail amount possible and try to get you released before trial. This will allow you to continue working and spending time with your family before the trial. That will not only reduce the stress and disruption of the case, but it will also allow us to work more closely with you in formulating a defense.
It may also be possible for us to argue that the prosecution does not have enough evidence to proceed with the trial and get your case dismissed. That's why we recommend contacting the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team as soon as possible after your arrest.
The Trial Phase
Our Criminal Defense Team will begin the work of preparing your defense if the District Court Judge decides to hold your case over for trial. We will thoroughly review the evidence against you and formulate an effective strategy to attack any weak points in the prosecution's case. To win the trial, the prosecutor must convince 12 Potter County citizens that the evidence proves their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
However, we also have an opportunity to present our case. We can challenge the prosecution's evidence and present witnesses in your defense. In some cases, we can attack the prosecution's evidence effectively enough to achieve a not-guilty verdict, but that is not the only avenue to a positive result. There is also the possibility of negotiating reduced charges with the prosecutor.
How Does the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team Fight Cases?
The LLF Law Criminal Defense team will leave no stone unturned in defending your constitutional rights. We will review every aspect of the evidence against you for inconsistencies and procedural errors. In many cases, we uncover mistakes made by the police during arrests, such as conducting searches without probable cause or improperly filing their paperwork.
We also closely examine and challenge the testimony given by witnesses against you. Sometimes, prosecution witnesses have been given an incentive to testify against you in exchange for leniency in another case. There is also the possibility that the witnesses' recollection of the events is inaccurate or motivated by latent bias. We will highlight any potential areas of the prosecution's case that raise reasonable doubt about your guilt.
It's also important to understand that a guilty verdict in your case is not necessarily the end of the road. One of the reasons we examine the prosecution's evidence so thoroughly in every case is that we may find grounds for appeal, which could reverse a guilty verdict. We will be there for you from step one and never stop fighting for you.
When to Call the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team
Being arrested for a crime in Potter County can make you feel like your entire life has come crashing down. It's a scary experience, but it's not the end of the world. You have the right to counsel, but it's worthless if you don't use it. We strongly suggest you contact us immediately after your arrest and before you answer any questions from the police. Call us today at 888-535-3686 or reach out to us online.
