If you've been arrested or ticketed for any kind of crime in Warren County, Pennsylvania, you may be at a bit of a loss about what you should do next. Of course, you need to defend yourself, but what's the best way to do so? Where should you go for help? In what court do you need to appear, and at what time, and before which judge? Defending yourself against criminal charges can be very stressful, and it's easy to make mistakes that could land you in even more trouble.
Fortunately, the LLF Law Firm is here to help. Our experienced criminal defense attorneys understand the criminal laws in Pennsylvania, the court procedures that apply in criminal cases, and how to defend our clients and protect their rights from the beginning of their criminal case to its conclusion. To learn more about how the LLF Law Firm can help you protect your rights and defend you against criminal charges in Warren County, call us at 888.535.3686 or use our contact form to schedule a confidential consultation.
Categories of Crimes in Pennsylvania
When you have been charged with a crime in Warren County, one of the first things you need to understand is what type of crime it is and how serious the penalties could be if you're convicted of the charges.
Pennsylvania has three main types of crimes. These are as follows:
- Summary offenses are generally less-serious types of offenses that may not even result in you being arrested. Instead, you may receive what appears to be a ticket. The ticket is essentially a summons that tells you what you've been charged with and when you need to appear in court to defend yourself against those charges. Summary offenses include things like criminal mischief, public urination, trespassing, and other less-serious crimes. But don't let the lack of an arrest fool you. If you are convicted of a summary offense, you could find yourself being sent to jail for up to 90 days, as well as having to pay a fine of up to $1,500. You'll have a criminal record that will show up if an employer or someone else wants to run a criminal background check on you. The LLF Law Firm's Criminal Defense Team understands how important it is to defend against summary offense charges, and we are ready to help you protect your rights and your future in these kinds of cases.
- Misdemeanors are the next level of crime in Pennsylvania. They also account for most of the criminal cases that courts consider in the state. A misdemeanor conviction can land you in jail for up to 5 years and hit you with a fine of up to $10,000. There are three classes of misdemeanors, ranging from third-degree, which is the least serious, up to first-degree, which is the most serious. There are dozens of different crimes that qualify as misdemeanors in Pennsylvania. Simple assault, possession of a controlled substance, and DUI, for example, are all misdemeanors. Just as with all criminal charges, it's important to defend yourself against these to avoid spending time in jail and protect your future. The experienced attorneys from the LLF Law Firm know how to protect your rights and defend you against charges in misdemeanor cases.
- Felonies are the most serious type of crime that you can be charged with in Pennsylvania. In addition to there being three classes of felonies, just as there are three classes of misdemeanors, there are also three classes of murder crimes that are separate from and more serious than other felonies. A conviction on the most serious type of felony charge could lead to a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $50,000. A conviction of the most serious type of murder charge could lead to 40 years to life in prison in addition to the same $50,000 fine. And Pennsylvania still has the death penalty for first-degree murder.
As a defendant in a criminal case in Warren County, you may find yourself having to appear before different judges at different court locations depending on the charges you are facing and the stage of your case. This can make it confusing to understand where you're supposed to be next, and it can be easy to make a mistake and miss your court date. Of course, you want to avoid doing this in a criminal case because a missed court date can lead to an arrest warrant. That is just one of the many reasons why you should be working with an experienced criminal defense attorney if you are facing a criminal charge in Warren County.
At the LLF Law Firm, our attorneys will make sure that you understand where you're supposed to be for your next court appearance what time you're supposed to be there, and we will help you understand what's happening in your case throughout the entire process. Knowing where you're supposed to be and what's going to happen once you get there can make things much less stressful during what can be an extremely difficult time in your life.
In Warren County, as in the rest of Pennsylvania, there are two main types of courts that handle criminal cases. These are:
- The Court of Common Pleas. In Warren County, this is located at 204 4th Avenue in Warren. The Court of Common Pleas handles misdemeanor and felony cases, though earlier parts of these cases may be handled by the Magisterial District Court. Warren County has two Common Pleas Court Judges.
- Magisterial District Courts. These are lower-level courts that handle earlier stages of misdemeanor and felony cases, as well as summary offenses. There are three Magisterial District Court Judges in Warren County, two located in Warren itself, and one located in Youngsville. It's important to note that each of these judges has their own courtroom that is separate and apart from the County Courthouse on 4th Avenue in Warren.
In many criminal cases, you will appear before a Magisterial District Judge at the early stage of your case and before a Court of Common Pleas Judge at later stages. The process can get confusing if you don't pay close attention to information about where you are supposed to be for your next court appearance and when. By working with one of the experienced criminal defense attorneys from the LLF Law Firm, you can be sure you have the information you need to show up before the right judge in the right court at the right time. You will also be prepared for what is going to happen at your next court appearance, which can make it much less stressful than if you are trying to defend yourself and don't quite understand what's going to happen at the various stages of your case.
Steps in the Criminal Process in Warren County
Where summary offenses are concerned, all of your court proceedings will take place before a Magisterial District Court judge. You won't have to worry about changing court locations in most cases. If you've been charged with a misdemeanor or felony, on the other hand, earlier stages of your criminal case will likely be before a Magisterial District Court Judge in that judge's courtroom, with later stages of your case before one of the Court of Common Pleas Judges in Warren.
If you're facing a misdemeanor or a felony charge, you can expect that your case will include the following steps:
A preliminary arraignment may take place before a Magisterial District Court Judge. In addition, a preliminary hearing may also take place before the same judge, the purpose of which is to determine whether the prosecution has enough evidence to charge you with the crime or crimes that they are charging you with. Whether you are required to post bail and, if so, how much your bail will be may also be considered at this stage.
Later stages of your criminal case will typically take place in the Court of Common Pleas. Prosecutors will, at some point, file what is called a criminal information against you. This is a pleading that provides more detail about the charges that the prosecutors are bringing against you. There may be one or more pretrial hearings in which the court considers motions that are brought by either the prosecutor or your attorney to dispose of or modify parts of the criminal case against you. Motions may also ask the judge to do any number of things that can affect the progress of your case. Sometimes, the purpose of a court proceeding is simply to advise the judge as to how the case is moving forward and to set future dates for various milestones as the case moves towards trial.
If your case does not resolve itself in a plea agreement, or if the prosecutors drop the case against you the charges against you, it will eventually move to a trial. That trial will take place in the Court of Common Pleas, where either a jury or the judge will resolve the charges that have been brought against you. If you are found guilty at trial, or if you plead guilty, the judge from the Court of Common Pleas will be the one who will impose the sentence on you.
As you may already know, most criminal cases don't end up in a trial. They are often resolved with a plea agreement or, in relatively few cases, with prosecutors dropping the charges. Your best chance to arrive at the best result for your particular situation is to work with one of the experienced criminal defense attorneys from the LLF Law Firm.
When you have an attorney on your side who understands Pennsylvania's criminal laws, the court procedures that apply in criminal cases in Warren County and across Pennsylvania, and how prosecutors think and what arguments will resonate with them, your case is much more likely to be resolved favorably than if you were to attempt to defend yourself or to rely on an attorney who does not have a significant amount of criminal defense experience. Our attorneys can also advise you when negotiating a plea agreement is no longer helpful and when it may make more sense for you to take your case to trial.
The LLF Law Firm Can Defend You in Warren County
If you're facing criminal charges in Warren County, contact the LLF Law Firms Criminal Defense Team for help. Our experienced attorneys have been defending clients against all types of criminal charges in courts all across Pennsylvania, including in Warren County, for years. We understand the criminal laws in Pennsylvania, the procedures that courts follow in criminal cases, and what it takes to protect our client's rights and to defend them against the power of the state.
Any criminal charge, even a summary offense charge, is a serious one. We understand that and are here to fight for your rights and protect your future. To learn more about how the LLF Law Firms Criminal Defense Team can defend you against criminal charges in Warren County, call us today at 888.535.3686, or use our contact form to schedule a confidential consultation with one of our experienced attorneys. Your future is too important to leave to chance; let the LLF Law Firm help you protect it.
