The second stop in the journey through the court system is Central Court, where the accused is entitled to a Preliminary Hearing. The Preliminary Hearing The Preliminary Hearing serves a very important gatekeeping function. A Magisterial District Judge, the lowest…
Initial Charges via Police Criminal Complaint If you are accused of a crime, you will most likely receive a Police Criminal Complaint in the mail. These are typically sent via both first class and certified USPS mail. Included in the…
Today I'm sharing the first entry in a new web series. Taking my inspiration not so much from the classic Benjamin Britten orchestral work and more from the one I actually heard first, Garrison Keilor's parody, I offer: The Young Person's Guide to Centre County Criminal…
A living will and durable power of attorney can save you and your family lots of pain and aggravation when disaster strikes. I like to read about how the other Professions deal with the central questions of their practice. Late last…
Central to understanding the George Zimmerman case is the idea of self-defense, or Justification.. The entire "stand-your-ground law" issue is only a subpart of the discussion. It isn't a new defense; it merely alters the rules. Traditionally, a defendant is…
You may have seen this photograph making the rounds. I saw it yesterday on twitter. It shows a military helicopter hovering over the crowd in Cairo. The photo is mostly dark, with the helicopter eliminated by dozens of green, hand-held laser…
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly…
Score one for the good guys. In a 5-4 decision, the US Supreme Court has ruled that, in cases where a defendant can make "a convincing showing of actual innocence," Congress's 1996 rule that a one-year time limit applies to state…
A story in this local newspaper story mentions that a man and woman charged with drug offenses lived on "Beaver Farm Lane." Locals will know that this is one of the housing assistance complexes - sometimes called "Section 8 Housing," although…
Guns, gun safety, and gun rights have been very much in the news of late. You might not realize how limited some people's Right to Bear Arms already are. Under Pennsylvania and Federal law, you can lose the right to…