Media Pennsylvania Criminal Law Blog
Challenges associated with multiple DUI charges
When someone is pulled over for driving under the influence, there may be a lot of different questions on their mind and they may have a considerable amount of uncertainty with regard to their future. However, the penalties they face may be significant, and this is...
Can a DUI interfere with financial aid?
As someone in Pennsylvania who is about to attend a college, university or other post-high school educational venture, you know the expenses are high. You may be relying on the possibility of financial aid in order to actually be able to attend the institute you want...
What is the Castle Doctrine?
In Pennsylvania, charges of assault are taken very seriously. But not every case of assault is as straightforward as it may initially seem. For example, what if you injure someone, but they attacked you first? What if they broke onto your property with the intent to...
The changing status of marijuana legislation in Pennsylvania
Governor Tom Wolf signed into Pennsylvania law the ability to have medical marijuana in the state. Not all residents in the state are gung-ho about having recreational marijuana decriminalized in the state. However, there are some local counties who have taken action...
Can I refuse a breathalyzer if pulled over?
After leaving the bar in Pennsylvania, you are pulled over. The officer has you step out of the car and requests you take a breathalyzer after suspecting you have had a few drinks. While you can refuse to take the breathalyzer, it may not be in your best interests to...
What affects the severity of DUI charges?
Driving under the influence is always a serious matter. In the past, however, Pennsylvania law considered all DUI offenses as misdemeanors, which carry comparatively lighter penalties than felonies. Times have changed, however, and as of December 2018, DUI may now be...
Key differences between burglary and robbery
Television shows, movies and books often use the terms burglary and robbery interchangeably. However, if you are facing charges in Pennsylvania, you will quickly realize they are very different. At The Law Offices of Joseph Lesniak, LLC, we often represent clients...
Can I face the same crime in federal and state courts?
You probably know the term double jeopardy. It is right afforded to you that guarantees you cannot face charges for the same crime more than once. Did you know, though, there is an exception to that rule? Say you face a charge for a crime in a court in Pennsylvania....
Seek help for your student’s underage drinking charge
When students head off to college for the first time, they are truly experiencing the freedom of adulthood. Because most college freshmen are not old enough to legally drink, however, the first week away at school coincides with a steep rise in underage drinking...
What affects drug possession sentences in Pennsylvania?
To possess illegal drugs in Pennsylvania is a crime. These controlled substances include marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and more. To be found guilty means that the prosecutor has valid proof that a person intentionally carried a controlled substance...
