I have been asked this question many different times by people who come into my office. I strongly believe the answer to this question is "Yes". Although nobody needs a lawyer for a first offense DUI / ARD case, legal representation is highly recommended for several...
Restoring Hope
Year: 2010
Juvenile Law in Berks County (Reading, PA)
Juvenile Delinquency law in Pennsylvania is governed by the Juvenile Act which can be found 42 Pa.C.S.A. Chapter 63. A child under 18 who is charged with an act that would constitute a criminal offense if he was an adult is said to have committed a "delinquent act."...
Second (2nd) Offense DUI – Reduced Sentence
Recently, I represented a client who was charged with a second (2nd) offense DUI in the Berks County Courts. My client's blood alcohol content (BAC) was in the so-called "middle range" (75 Pa.C.S.A. 3802(b)), and he was looking at a mandatory 30 days in jail if he was...
1543(a) / 1543(b) – Driving Under Suspension in Berks County
Most people think of a traffic ticket as a pretty minor offense. The only punishment is usually paying a fine and court costs. Sometimes, a driver might get a couple of points added to their license. If it is a serious traffic offense, perhaps a driver would get his...
Can a Witness Refuse to Testify in a Criminal Case?
It is not unusual for a witness or a victim to threaten to "press charges" against another person. Likewise, many times a witness or a victim will want to "drop charges" that were filed against a friend, relative, or paramour. A quick look at the caption of a criminal...
Underage Drinking in Pennsylvania
I recently represented a Kutztown University student on a citation for underage drinking. Pennsylvania's underage drinking statute, 18 Pa.C.S.A. 6308, actually covers "purchase, consumption, possession, or transportation" of alcohol. Although it is a relatively minor...
2nd Offense DUI? – Berks County Second Time Offender Program (STOP)
Under current Pennsylvania state law, a second offense DUI is defined as a DUI occurring within 10 years of the disposition date of a prior DUI. In other words, it is the date the previous DUI was disposed of, by way of a guilty plea or entry onto an ARD Program, that...
Reading, PA Criminal Defense attarneys in the News
Please follow the attached link to a recent newspaper article about our firm: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=238443
DUI ARD in Berks County, PA (Reading, PA)
If you are a first time offender charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in Berks County, PA you may be eligible for a special program known as ARD. In this post I'll briefly explain the eligibility requirements as well as the benefits of the program. As with...
Smiles in the Courtroom
Our attarneys are typically involved in contested courtroom proceedings. Whether its a Motion to Suppress Evidence for a DUI Arrest or Drug Charge, a Criminal Jury Trial or a heated Child Custody case we are used to adversarial hearings against other skilled Berks...