While financial abuse in Pennsylvania is often overlooked, this form of abuse can be just as damaging and harmful as emotional and physical abuse. Financial abuse can involve withholding funds, cutting a person off from their finances and denying them financial...
Rights that students have at college
When students go to college for the first time in Pennsylvania, they might be afraid of what to expect, especially if they haven't spent a lot of time away from home. There are new people to meet and new places to visit. Of course, colleges have a desire to keep...
What to know about a preliminary hearing for a DUI
Individuals in Pennsylvania who are charged with a DUI have the right to take their case to trial. However, before a trial begins, there is usually a preliminary hearing to determine whether one needs to occur at all. A judge will review the evidence that the...
7 sentenced in Pennsylvania heroin raid and 1 awaiting trial
Prosecutors have received guilty pleas from seven of the defendants arrested in connection with a drug raid in Warminster at a home on Cheryl Drive. A 40-year-old man, labeled by prosecutors as a ringleader of the heroin and fentanyl narcotics operation, admitted his...
Can you avoid false abuse allegations?
You and your ex are not on good terms. You worry that he or she is going to make false allegations of child abuse, perhaps out of spite or perhaps to keep you from seeing the kids. Child abuse is a very serious criminal issue. It can lead to an arrest, jail time, and...
Did the police stereotype you?
The police take you into custody. Maybe it's a traffic stop. Maybe they stop you on the street. However it happens, you do not feel like it's a fair arrest. You think that the officers stereotyped you when they picked you up. Does it happen? It certainly does,...
If the police don’t have a warrant, keep the door closed
The police come to your door and knock. They announce themselves. It's the middle of the day. Even so, something just feels off about the encounter. You have no idea why they're there. Do you have to let them in? You don't. You don't even have to open the door. Some...
Do police need to tell you why they’re arresting you?
A police officer arrests you and puts you into the back of the squad car. You have no idea what you did wrong. Maybe you do not think that you broke any laws. You demand to know why they're arresting you. Do they have to tell you? While they may choose to do so, law...
Remember, the police are on Facebook
What you post on social media can have a drastic impact on your life. It could even impact a criminal case. Remember, the police also use Facebook. Take, for instance, a case where police identified a gang member on social media. To get access to his posts, an officer...
What does it mean to have a jury of your peers?
One of your rights when you go to trial for a criminal offense is that you get to have a jury of your peers. They are the ones who hear the case and then decide if they think you are guilty or not. What does it really mean? What is a jury of your peers? Essentially,...