Criminal Defense Archives

Search Warrants and Property Destruction During a Search

Published on May 23, 2008

When police execute a search warrant on a home, the interior of that home is sometimes left unrecognizable. Broken flower pots, ripped-up floor boards and shredded Teddy Bears are some of the pictures that come to my mind when thinking about how police leave a home after a search. If the search is pursuant to […]

What’s the Difference Between Probation and Parole?

Published on May 13, 2008

“What’s the difference between probation and parole?” This is a frequently asked question that many of my clients ask. Both probation and parole permit an individual to serve their sentence, or a portion of their sentence, in the community, instead of in jail, which many people find attractive. Also, probation and parole are both considered […]

Illegal Firearm Ownership Transfers End With Consequences

Published on May 9, 2008

PA Attorney General Tom Corbett and Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham have devised a joint task force about a year-and-a-half ago called force called the Gun Violence Task Force (“GVTF”). Within the GVTF, there are veteran police officers, Attorney General Special Agents, and Assistant District Attorneys who work on gun cases, day in and day […]

Criminal Lawyer Update: Superior Court Upholds District Attorney’s Discretion to Withdraw Criminal Charges from Private Criminal Complaint

Published on May 5, 2008

On April 23, 2008, the Pennsylvania Superior Court issued a decision in Commonwealth v. Michaliga, 2008 Pa. Super 78 (2008), which reaffirms that the District Attorney’s Office’s has the sound discretion to approve or disapprove criminal charges commenced by private criminal complaint. What is interesting about this case, is that the District Attorney (“DA”) of […]

Phil. Prison Overcrowding Leads to Another Lawsuit

Published on Apr 30, 2008

Another lawsuit has been filed against the Philadelphia Prison System for its failure to get its act together and fix deplorable conditions. As reported on philly.com yesterday, the suit was filed in federal court on Monday on behalf of 11 inmates, and the attorneys are seeking to certify the lawsuit as a class action on […]