Lehighton & Carbon County Criminal Attorney
When you are faced with a criminal complaint, Lehighton & Carbon County criminal attorney Adam Weaver can help you navigate the Pennsylvania criminal justice system. Crimes generally fall under three categories: summary offenses, misdemeanors, and felonies. It is important to understand the nature of the crime that has been charged against you, and the facts necessary to prove each element of the underlying crime by the Commonwealth.
Once a person is first charged with a misdemeanor or felony, the magistrate court initially sets a preliminary hearing. This hearing is designed to determine if the Commonwealth has enough facts to establish a prima facie case to proceed with its criminal charges against a defendant. If the prima facie case is meet at the preliminary hearing, then the defendant’s case will be bound over to the Court of Common Pleas of the Pennsylvania County in which the criminal charges were filed.
When a person is found guilty of a crime, or accepts an agreeable plea deal with the Commonwealth, it is necessary to understand the Pennsylvania sentencing guidelines so that you can determine the amount of time you could be serving. Generally, a specific underlying crime is given a gravity score. Once you determine your gravity score, then you will have to calculate your prior record score, which together will give you a sentencing recommendation to the Judge. If you are convicted on multiple crimes, it is likewise important to determine if your sentence will run concurrently (at the same time of other convicted crimes) or consecutively (one sentence to run after another sentence sequentially).
Contact An Experienced Lehighton & Carbon County Criminal Attorney
It is important to understand your rights that you may have when you are charged with a criminal offense and consult an attorney immediately. There are various constitutional protections to provide a person charged with a crime adequate due process. It is important to assert your constitutional rights when you are facing a criminal charge because your immediate decisions after you are charged with a crime could affect your life and liberty. Call Lehighton & Carbon County criminal attorney Weaver at his Office conveniently located in Lehighton, Pennsylvania today for a consultation should you find yourself facing pending criminal charges.
