PFA Defense Lawyer
Drug Crimes in PA
If you’ve been criminally charged with drug possession, punishment can be greater if it is a Schedule I or II drug. Schedule I drugs include marijuana, heroin, and LSD. Schedule II drugs include methamphetamine, cocaine, Oxycontin, and Percocet.
If this is your first Schedule I or II drug offense, you face a mandatory six-month driver’s license suspension. You also face as much as a $5,000 fine and up to one year in jail.
The penalties associated with drug possession could harm your educational opportunities, employment opportunities, and even your child custody rights.
If you face criminal drug possession charges, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
PFA May Carry Financial Penalties
A Protection from Abuse (PFA) Order is a powerful tool for restricting the rights of the accused. In addition to prohibiting contact with the victim, the Court may order the abuser to pay for reasonable losses suffered by the victim, including: medical, dental, relocation, and counseling expenses. The court may also order the defendant to pay for ongoing financial needs such as health insurance and mortgage payments.
If you have filed, or have been served with a PFA, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
5 Tips For PFA Defendants
If you have been served a Protection From Abuse (PFA) Order, you must adhere to each of the stipulations. Violating a PFA can result in serious criminal penalties.
Here are 5 tips for PFA defendants to avoid violations:
- Do not contact the plaintiff in any way.
- Avoid all places where you know the plaintiff goes.
- Do not drive past the plaintiff’s residence.
- Do not attempt to contact the plaintiff through their friends or family.
- Retain an experienced PFA defense attorney.
Spivak Law Firm provides aggressive representation at PFA hearings in Pittsburgh and all surrounding counties, including: Allegheny County, Beaver County, Butler County, Fayette County, Indiana County, Washington County, and Westmoreland County.
To speak with an experienced PFA defense attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or (800) 545-9390.
Domestic Violence and Guns
While misdemeanor charges may seem less serious than felony charges, both can hold similar consequences.
Under Pennsylvania law, if you have been convicted of a felony, you are prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Moreover, you are permanently stripped of gun ownership if convicted of a misdemeanor involving domestic violence. This is true even if the incident did not involve firearms.
Spivak Law Firm provides strong, aggressive defense in all PFA and criminal domestic violence cases. For a free consultation, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Assault in Pennsylvania
Q: Can I be convicted of assault even if I never laid a finger on anyone?
A: Yes.
Under Pennsylvania Law, assault consists of intentionally or knowingly causing physical harm to another person or attempting to do so, which puts the other person in fear of immediate bodily harm. Thus, you do not need to physically hit another person to be charged with assault.
Simple assault is a misdemeanor charge that may result in incarceration. Aggravated assault, which involves use of a deadly weapon or results in permanent bodily injury, is a felony charge that carries stiffer penalties.
At Spivak Law Firm, we strongly defend people charged with committing violent crimes such as assault. To have an experienced attorney review your case, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Protect Against Online Harassment
Have you ever felt that your partner’s online behavior is out of control? Do they send constant messages that leave you feeling on-edge, use location features to track where you are, or demand to have access to your phone?
Here are some tips to protect yourself against online domestic abuse:
- Use strong, unique passwords to keep your accounts from being hacked.
- Use two-step verification to make your accounts more secure.
- Back up your data to secure and collect evidence of harassment.
- Browse the web privately so your partner cannot track your Internet history.
Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law with a special focus on domestic violence and Protection From Abuse (PFA). Call us at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Falsely Accused of Abuse?
Because courts overwhelmingly grant Protection From Abuse (PFA) orders, the system itself is frequently abused by people seeking leverage in divorce and child-custody actions.
In Pittsburgh and all surrounding countries, judges grant more than 90% of all petitions for a temporary PFA Order, which can immediately evict you from your home, restrict you from your kids, and subject you to arrest.
At Spivak Law Firm, we aggressively defend people accused of abuse at PFA and criminal domestic violence hearings. We handle all areas of family law and criminal defense. If you have been accused of domestic violence, call us at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Criminal Domestic Violence
Q: I am accused of perpetrating domestic violence. Can my accuser get the criminal charges dismissed?
A: No.
In domestic violence cases, it is common for an accuser to later recant testimony in an attempt to “make the charges go away.” If your accuser no longer wants you to be prosecuted, he or she can make this known to the district attorney’s office. However, the prosecutor has sole discretion to decide whether to pursue criminal charges against you.
Spivak Law Firm handles all family law and criminal defense matters with a focus on domestic-violence issues. We provide strong, compassionate representation in all Protection From Abuse (PFA), criminal domestic violence, and child custody cases.
To learn more about domestic violence law in Pennsylvania, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Fund Violence Against Women Act
Across the country, organizations that help women recover from domestic abuse draw support from the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). But President Trump’s proposed budget calls for a 4 percent cut to the department that supports these programs.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is charged with enforcing VAWA, though he voted against it in 2013 as a Senator. If these cuts are approved – or if the Republican-controlled Congress fails to renew VAWA in 2018 – victims of domestic violence and sexual assault would lose access to valuable programs designed to help them.
Spivak Law Firm helps victims of domestic violence get the legal protections they need at Protection From Abuse (PFA) hearings and by working with prosecutors on criminal domestic-violence cases. To schedule a consultation, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
PFAs and College Students
Pennsylvania colleges are increasingly cracking down on domestic violence, raising awareness of Protection from Abuse (PFA) restraining orders as tools to stop harassment and stalking, as well as physical and sexual violence.
College students served with PFA orders are at great risk of violating the PFA if they continue to attend college on the same campus as their accuser.
You may be arrested and charged with Indirect Criminal Contempt if the plaintiff merely accuses you of contacting, harassing, or stalking, even if a police officer does not witness the alleged violation.
A PFA alone is enough to disrupt educational and employment opportunities, but you could face even more hurdles when the PFA is coupled with criminal contempt charges that include a maximum sentence of six months in jail.
Spivak Law Firm provides strong, aggressive representation at PFA hearings in Pittsburgh and all surrounding counties, including: Allegheny County, Beaver County, Butler County, Fayette County, Indiana County, Washington County, and Westmoreland County.
We have effectively represented college students attending University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University, Carnegie Mellon University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Carlow University, Slippery Rock University, and other schools in the Pittsburgh area.
To schedule a free consultation, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.