Are you a member of the LGBT community and are facing criminal charges of some sort? These can be DUI charges, drug crime charges and domestic violence charges. If so you need the help of our LGBT friendly criminal defense lawyers & LGBT friendly criminal defense attorneys. These are lawyers specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Our LGBT friendly criminal defense lawyers deal with the issues surrounding an arrest, a criminal investigation, criminal charges, sentencing, appeals and post-trial issues. Our LGBT friendly criminal defense lawyers specializes in DUI. DWI & OUI defense and well-versed in other criminal defense as well. An arrest simply means a police officer or judge believes probable cause exists that a person committed a crime. Since an arrest is usually made by law enforcement, the arrest often is for a criminal charge that has not been levied or verified by an attorney or judge. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender friendly attorneys on our team also deal with the substantive issues of the crimes with which his clients are charged. They may also help clients before charges have been filed by a prosecuting attorney. This is done when someone believes he or she is being investigated or is arrested.
The accused may hire a criminal defense lawyer such as our LGBT friendly criminal defense lawyers to help with counsel and representation dealing with police or other investigators, perform his or her own investigation, and at times present exculpatory evidence that negates potential charges by the prosecutor.
Our LGBT friendly criminal defense lawyers possess a clear understanding of the United States Constitution. The Fourth Amendment protects against unlawful searches and seizures while the Fifth and Sixth Amendments govern the right to remain silent so one does not become a witness against himself. All of the Amendments to the United States Constitution are guaranteed to the criminal accused against the states via the Fourteenth Amendment. Our network of gay friendly criminal defense lawyers have a thorough understanding of each of these rights. Initial work on any criminal case involves review of the charges and the claimed facts, and analysis of constitutional violations, the prima facie burden of the prosecution, defenses, and affirmative defenses; as well as potential sentence and sentencing issues. Early stages of a criminal case may involve a grand jury or preliminary hearing to determine if there exists probable cause for the case to continue. A violation of the Fourth or Fifth Amendment, or other illegally obtained evidence could result in evidence being inadmissible at trial. With that, our LGBTQ friendly criminal attorneys often spend a substantial amount of time reviewing all documentation to determine if the case can be won on constitutional grounds due to illegal conduct by the government.
Our LGBT friendly criminal lawyers typically defend people with misdemeanor or felony charges. A misdemeanor generally refers to criminal activity that is punishable by one year or less in the local jail. A felony typically refers to criminal activity that is punishable by more than one year in the prison system. Many states have “wobblers”, which refers to criminal activity that is charged as a felony, but has a possibility of being reduced to a misdemeanor. In matters involving a wobbler, our team of LGBT friendly criminal defense lawyers can try to either have the felony reduced to a misdemeanor or in the alternative have the felony appear to be a misdemeanor so that the felony can be reduced to a misdemeanor at a later date, which is good strategy since the typical felony cannot be expunged.
Cases Our LGBT Friendly Criminal Defense Lawyers Handle
Bench Warrant Resolution: Discovering that you have an outstanding warrant for your arrest can be an alarming experience. Take pro-active steps towards resolving any bench warrant issues immediately upon obtaining notice. A judge issues a bench warrant if she believes you have violated the rules of court. A bench warrant may be issued in a civil or criminal case. A bench warrant authorizes any police officer to arrest you upon contact. A bench warrant may be issued against you if you failed to do any of the following:
1. Appear for a preliminary hearing or formal arraignment
2. Appear in court after being subpoenaed to be present
3. Complete court ordered classes such as anger management or sobriety
4. Pay court ordered penalties and fines
A bench warrant can lead to the revocation and forfeiture of bail, a contempt citation, or potential jail
time. An outstanding warrant can also result in you having problems when attempting to travel
throughout the country by airplane.
Drug Possession: The possession of any unlawful drug for personal use can be a meidemeanor or felony. If the police gather evidence supporting a claim that you intended to deliver the drugs, you could be prosecuted for a felony. If convicted, you could face stiff penalties and possibly be sentenced to serve time in prison. Upon release, you will have a criminal record potentially making it hard to obtain employment. Hire an experienced LGBT friendly drug possession attorney to help reduce the charge asserted against you. The attorney may help you obtain a plea bargain allowing you to participate in a pre-trial diversionary program or help suppress evidence and reduce the prevalence of the prosecutor’s case.
Common drug possession crimes include the following:
1. Drug possession
2. Drug possession with the intent to deliver
3. Illegal drug paraphernalia possession
4. Prescription drug charges
Penalties for drug possession in Pennsylvania vary widely. The charge will depend on the type of drug
and how much was found on your person. For example, the possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana
may result in an ungraded misdemeanor. If convicted, you could spend up to 30 days in jail and pay a fine
up to $500. For other narcotic drugs, you could be sentenced to spend up to 15 years in prison and be
ordered to pay a fine up to $250,000.
Defenses to drug possession charges include the following:
Lack of intent
Lack of knowledge
Entrapment
Unlawful search and seizure
Lawful possession of prescribed drugs
Medical license to carry drugs
Contact our LGBT friendly criminal defense lawyers for more information about obtaining a confidential consultation regarding your pending drug possession charges.
Violent Crimes: Being charged with a violent crime in Pennsylvania can result in serious consequences. Violent crime charges include aggravated assault, domestic abuse, and resisting arrest. Punishment for violent crimes are severe and often result in jail time, hefty fines, and penalties. Unfortunately, violent crimes accusations are often the result of false or exaggerated claims. Hire an experienced attorney to defend against your violent crime charge. A conviction may result in the following penalties:
1. Summary offenses will result in you spending up to 90 days in jail and paying up to a $300 fine.
2. A third-degree misdemeanor offense can result in you spending up to one year in jail and paying
a $2,000 fine.
3. A second-degree misdemeanor offense can result in you spending up to two years in jail and
paying a $5,000 fine.
4. A first-degree misdemeanor offense can result in you spending up to five years in jail and paying
a $10,000 fine.
5. A second-degree felony offense can result in you spending up to ten years in jail and paying a
$25,000 fine
6. A first-degree felony offense can result in you spending up to twenty years in jail and paying a
$25,000 fine.
In addition to the consequences mentioned above, you will have a permanent violent crime on your
criminal record. It should go without saying that you should definitely hire an experienced criminal
defense attorney to represent you for a violent crime offense. As demonstrated above, a
violent crime conviction can dramatically impact your life.
Drugged Driving: Facing drugged driving charges in Pennsylvania can result in serious consequences. Oftentimes, when a person hears that a person was charged with a DUI he assumes the person was drunk. Though driving under the influence charges are common, driving under the influence of drugs is just a prevalent. All states treats drugged driving very much like drunk driving. Drugged driving occurs when a person operates a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs. To be convicted of a drugged driving
charge, the prosecution must prove that there was any amount of a controlled substance in your blood
as determined under Pennsylvania’s system of categorizing drugs. Schedule I drugs include heroin,
crystal meth, and LSD. You may also be arrested for drugged driving if you are under the influence of a
prescription drug that prohibits driving after ingestion. Many states, Puerto Rico & Washington D.C. have adopted a zero-tolerance approach to drugged driving. This means that any amount of
drugs detected in your system will result in a drugged driving arrest. For example, the smell of alcohol or
marijuana could potentially result in arrest. Common penalties for a drugged driving conviction include the following:
Serving up to a maximum of six-months in jail and paying the court a fine of up to $5,000. The
driver may also have her driver’s license suspended.
A subsequent defender may face a mandatory jail sentence of ninety days in jail and potentially
pay a fine up to $10,000.
Contact our LGBT friendly criminal defense lawyers for a confidential consultation regarding your drugged driving charge. We can help have the charge asserted against you reduced or completely dismissed.
No matter what state you were arrested in our team of LGBT friendly criminal defense lawyers can help as they serve all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. including: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida,Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wyoming and Wisconsin.