Last week I represented a client charged with a violation of section 1543(b) of the vehicle code – Driving Under Suspension/ DUI Related. He had previously been found guilty of this charge by a Berks County District Judge where he was represented by a non-Berks County attarney. The Judge had sentenced him to the mandatory minimum 60 day jail term as laid out in the vehicle code. The Judge set a date for him to report to Berks County Prison.
The motorist contacted our office and we immediately filed a Summary Appeal in the Berks County Court of Common Pleas. The imposition of sentence was then delayed while we prepared and awaited our date in Common Pleas. As it turned out our client’s prior counsel made several critical errors in the preparation of the case. Significantly, he failed to communicate with or enter into negotiations with the State Trooper.
At the time of the Summary Appeal hearing we were facing an uphill battle. However, I was able to negotiate with the trooper as well as the Assistant District attarney. By presenting our client in the most favorable light and outlining various mitigating factors I was able to convince the Commonwealth to reduce the charges. In the end my client plead guilty to the reduced charge of 1543(a) and received no jail time. While he does still face a license suspension, he will not be taken from his family for two months.
Our office regularly represents motorists facing traffic offenses in Berks County and throughout the region. If you have received a citation or ticket or may be facing jail time for driving on a suspended license you need to know your rights and your options. Call our office today for a free consultation.
