Violent Crimes

One common defense that defendants facing violent offenses face often employ is a self-defense one. This defense centers around the idea that you turned to force to protect yourself from being subjected to significant bodily harm or death at the hands of another...

Are you thinking about buying those DNA testing kits this holiday season for yourself and your family members? You might want to rethink those plans. Home DNA testing has become quite popular with people who want to explore everything from the best diet for their...

Pennsylvania is one of 27 states that permit capital punishment in the case of severe crimes like murder. Pennsylvania has historically executed hundreds of individuals and has dozens of people currently awaiting execution. However, many of these individuals are in...

Gun control is one of the most divisive topics in the United States of America. Many people seem to have strong opinions either for or against gun control. When such strong opinions and emotions are attached to a subject, it can be difficult to be impartial.  ...

There has been a moratorium on the death penalty here in Pennsylvania since Gov. Tom Wolf came into office in 2015. However, it can legally be used again if and when that moratorium is ended by his successor.  With the next Pennsylvania gubernatorial race in November...

Many countries outside of the U.S., as well as many states within the U.S., have outlawed the death penalty. Pennsylvania has not. Capital punishment is infrequent, but it is still used.  There are many reasons that other governments have stopped using the death...

Whether you’re there in handcuffs or you walked in voluntarily, it’s scary to be stuck in a tiny room with a police detective grilling you about a serious crime. Worse still: Most people have been socialized to believe that authority figures have to be honest with...

If you considered the most common reasons for criminal arrests, what would you think leads the way? And where do you think that violent crimes like assault fit into that picture?  The statistics show that assault is much more common than many people realize. In 2019,...

You have a right to defend yourself. In fact, you can do things in the name of self-defense that would constitute assault if they happened in a different setting. For instance, striking someone with the intent to injure them is typically illegal but is allowed as a...

When an attorney is death penalty certified, it means that they have gone through additional steps to be certified in handling these difficult, and often complex, cases. To become certified, the attorney has to try a certain number of death cases to completion....