Penalties for PA sexual assault depend on how the Commonwealth grades your charges. A first-degree felony statutory sexual assault conviction could result in up to twenty years in prison and fines of $25,000, while a second-degree sexual assault conviction could result in up to ten years imprisonment and $25,000 in fines. Convictions could also result […]
What Is the Romeo and Juliet law in Pennsylvania?
Answer: Pennsylvania is one of several states that enact “Romeo and Juliet Laws,” which provide close-in-age exemptions. The rules were designed to protect minor-aged teenagers from facing rape convictions when having a consensual sexual relationship with one another. However, the de-facto age of consent is still 18, meaning adults cannot have sex with a minor […]
How to Defend Pennsylvania Sexual Offense Charges
Sexual offenses are among the most serious charges that a defendant can face. The vast majority of these offenses are felonies, and conviction for any of them automatically qualifies an accused as a sex offender under Megan’s Law. As such, you should fight for your legal rights, freedom, and reputation by mounting a solid legal […]
Criminal Lawyer Update: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Strikes Down Mandatory Minimum Sentence in Sex Case
On June 20, 2016, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in Pennsylvania v. Wolfe, with the opinion authored by Chief Justice Saylor, struck down the mandatory minimum sentencing provisions of 42 Pa.C.S. § 9718, which mandated for mandatory minimums for certain offenses where the victim is less than 16 years of age. Wolfe involved two convictions for […]
SCOTUS Rules GPS Monitoring Constitutes a Search
In Grady v. North Carolina, 575 U.S. __ (2015) (March 30, 2015), the United States Supreme Court has granted certiorari on whether the non-consensual GPS monitoring of a sex offender constitutes an unreasonable search under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. In granting certiorari, it held that the monitoring program is a search, […]