In Commonwealth v. Hawkins, _ A.3d _ (2012), 2012 Pa. Super. 85 (Apr. 12, 2012), the Superior Court of Pennsylvania affirmed a mandatory-minimum sentence of five years imprisonment for certain drug offenses committed with a firearm under 42 Pa.C.S. Sec. 9712.1. Hawkins’ criminal lawyer argued in this case that the sentencing court should had not have applied the mandatory-minimum sentence.
In Hawkins, the defendant sold drugs from his apartment, which was located on the first floor of a building that contained multiple apartments. When the police searched the building, they found a gun in the basement, which was a common area inside the defendant’s apartment, but an area to which he had access. The basement had an entry from the defendant’s apartment, but was also accessible to residents of the other apartments from an outside door. In addition, the police found a black set of scales both inside the bag with the firearm and they found scales inside his bedroom. Finally, there was no evidence that the gun or the bag belonged to any of the other tenants, and it was accessible from the defendant’s apartment within 10 to 15 seconds in the basement.
Were You Charged with a Crime in Pennsylvania or New Jersey?
If so, I can help, and I’m not afraid of taking on tough cases, either. Put an innovative and experienced criminal defense lawyer on your side by contacting me at Shuttleworth Law P.C. for a Free Case Evaluation. Call 888-529-3486 or message me here directly to request yours today.