Pittsburgh Domestic Violence Defense Lawyers
Criminal Court: The Process
If your criminal case cannot be resolved at the preliminary hearing before a magistrate, it moves to the Court of Common Pleas in the county where the alleged crime occurred.
First, there will be a formal arraignment. Your attorney will enter his or her appearance and obtain your next court date.
Next, there will be a pretrial conference. Your attorney will meet with the prosecutor to discuss everything from documentary evidence to key witnesses to potential settlement options including plea deals.
If the case cannot be resolved, it will move to a trial. Your case may be tried before the assigned judge or a jury of your peers.
Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of criminal defense with a special focus on domestic-violence defense.
For a free consultation, call us at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
PFA and Domestic Abuse Amid Coronavirus
“Mass shootings garner attention and frighten the public much more than episodes of domestic violence,” according to a recent article in The New York Times. “But domestic violence has a much higher death toll in the United States.”
Each year, some 900 women in the United States are murdered by their current or former intimate partners.
That single-year tally is more than nine times the number of people killed in jihadist attacks on American soil in the past decade.
At their most basic level, both mass terrorism and intimate terrorism of domestic violence are attempts to provoke fear and assert control. Many experts have expressed concern about the rise of domestic violence incidents during stay-at-home orders related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law and criminal defense with a focus on domestic abuse and child custody. For a free consultation, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Criminal Mandatory Minimums
Earlier this year, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded a 2013 policy that sought to avoid mandatory minimums for low-level, nonviolent drug offenders.
Mandatory minimums have swelled the federal prison population and led to racial disparities. Under the policy, a person with one prior drug felony who is charged with possession of a small amount of drugs can face 20 years to life.
Sessions’ actions might make sense if mandatory minimums for minor drug offenses were necessary to combat crime – but they are not. A 2014 study by the U.S. Sentencing Commission found that defendants released early were not more likely to reoffend than prisoners who served their whole sentences.
At Spivak Law Firm, we strongly defend people accused of drug crimes. If you have been arrested for a drug crime or are the target of an investigation, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Charged with Harassment?
Break-ups are painful, but repeated calls and texts to an ex, especially late at night, could lead to harassment charges filed against you.
Pennsylvania law defines harassment as acting with the intent to harass, annoy, or alarm another person, which includes:
- Violent physical contact, or attempt of violent physical contact;
- Following the other person in a public place;
- Repeated acts serving no legitimate purpose;
- Communicating any lewd, lascivious, threatening or obscene words, language, drawings or caricatures;
- Communicating repeatedly in an anonymous manner; or
- Communicating at inconvenient hours.
If you have been charged with harassment, immediately cease all forms of contact with the alleged victim. Continued attempts at communication could demonstrate to a judge that you intend to continue the behavior, thereby hurting your chances of getting the criminal charges dismissed.
To speak with an attorney experienced in criminal defense and family law, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.