Pittsburgh Criminal Defense and Injury Lawyer: 02/01/2013

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Cited or Arrested in South Side Blitz?

Pittsburgh Police and Local Officials are cracking down on Crime on the South Side of Pittsburgh along East Carson Street. For the fourth consecutive weekend, authorities converged on the South Side in what has been termed a "South Side Blitz" to monitor and patrol for criminal activity.

Most residents and business owners of the South Side deem the "Blitz" a success due to the decrease in rowdy behavior, erratic driving, public intoxication, illegal parking and other nuisance activity.

If you plan to go out this weekend, please enjoy the South Side Responsibly!

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Pittsburgh Criminal Defense & Injury Attorney Frank Walker
Pittsburgh Criminal Defense Site
Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice & Wrongful Death Site
Morgantown, West Virginia Criminal Defense Site
1-800-496-4143 Office
412.532.6805 Cell

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Monday, February 18, 2013

Missed a Formal Arraignment?

A Formal Arraignment is where you are formally presented with your charges in Pennsylvania. The Formal Arriagnement date is given at or immediately after the conclusion of your preliminary hearing.

At the Formal Arraignement, you will receive a document called a Criminal Information which lists all of your charges and the elements of the same. Moreover, this is stage is where you are first given the opportunity to file for the discovery in your case.

It is very important that you attend your formal arraignment becuase you will be given a subpoena for your pre-trial conference where you will select your trial date. If you do not attend the formal arraignement, a warrant may be issued for your arrest. Once a warrant is issued, authorities are authorized to arrest you on site: whether at your home, place of employment or out with family.

Once you receive a subpoena for your formal arraignement, contact your attorney immediately to verify the time, date and location of the arraignment and to discuss any questions you may have concerning your case. If you have missed your arraignement, contact an attorney immediately to address the pending bench warrant.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Do I need an Expungement?

When you are charged with a crime, there is a record of the crime in the criminal justice system. If you are found "not guilty" of the charges or the charges are withdrawn or dismissed, you may be entitled to have the charges erased or expunged from your record.

Being found "not guilty" of charges is not enough to protect your reputation. Potential employers, loan officers and school administrators can still see that you were charged with the offense and, although you were acquitted of the charges, they may still hold against you that you were charged with the offense, regardless of the outcome.

By having your record expunged, the arrest, charges and outcome can all be erased from the system as if they never existed.

If you are looking to have your record expunged, contact an experiencedattorney today to discuss your options.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Arrested or Cited While Visiting Pittsburgh?

Around this time of year, thousands of people flock to Pittsburgh to attend games, visit museums or attend social events. Unfortunately, a good majority of these visitors will get cited or arrested for an offense.

If you or someone you know has been cited orarrested for a criminal offense while visiting Pittsburgh, don't ignore the charge. It will not magically disappear and the police officer will not forget about it. You will face penalties and, if you miss your court date, you will have a bench warrant issued for your arrest, regardless of your home state or how long you were in Pittsburgh.

Contact a Pittsburgh Criminal Defense Lawyer today to discuss your rights and potential penalties for crimes committed while visiting Pittsburgh.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Plead Guilty to Summary Offense?

When most peole receive a citation for a summary offense, the first reaction is usually, "It's just a summary, it really can't hurt me that bad, right?" WRONG.

Summary offenses carry jail time and a $300 fine. Also, some summary offenses, such as underage drinking or fake id, can carry a license suspension and an increase in your insurance premiums.

Do yourself a favor: When charged with an offense, whether a felony, misdemeanor or summary offense, consult a criminal defense lawyer to learn the possible penalties before considering whether to plead guilty or fight the charge.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Am I required to speak with Police?

Many times at our law firm, we receive calls asking if a suspect is required to go to the police station and voluntarily submit to a police interview. The answer is always a resounding, "NO!"

Here is a a simple test to determine if you are required to answer any questions or submit to any interview: Are the police asking you to answer questions?

Here are examples of police asking permission:

"Do you mind answering a few questions?"

"Can you come down to the police station and speak with us?"

"We just want to clear up a few things, do you want to help us?"

If the police are asking for your permission, that is a clear sign that they lack authority to require you to do what they are asking. Play it safe, call a lawyer.

Pittsburgh Criminal Defense and Injury Lawyer

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