Manslaughter is killing someone without the intention to do so. Unlike murder, which takes planning and execution, manslaughter is considered less culpable because of the lack of intent. However, it does not mean that you should take manslaughter charges lightly....
The government has long known that there is a relationship between drugs and crime. They note that this relationship begins with the illegality of drugs in the first place, but it goes further than that. For instance, someone who is looking to buy drugs may commit a...
People get arrested for domestic violence in Pennsylvania due to many different situations. Sometimes, a spouse or child calls the police because they fear for their safety. Other times, it is a neighbor, a landlord or some other, uninvolved party that reaches out to...
Assault is one of the most common violent crimes, and it is also one of the most misunderstood. Quite a few people have dangerously inaccurate definitions for assault. They might engage in behavior that is technically assault under state law without realizing what...
Drunk driving can quickly lead to serious penalties, which is why it’s so important to find a safe way home or to defend yourself if you’ve been accused. You could be looking at heavy fines and the potential for jail time if you’re convicted, which is the last thing...
A charge of driving under the influence (DUI) in Pennsylvania can have serious consequences. Even a conviction for a first offense comes with probation, fines, traffic school, increased insurance costs and more trouble. No case, however, is as open-and-shut as the...
Generally, when the word “negligence” is used in the law, it’s referring to some type of carelessness that caused one or more people to be injured or suffer other harm. It’s often used when discussing the actions (or lack of action) that led up to a car accident or...
If a police officer pulls you over and believes that you may be under the influence, one of the first things he or she will do is to give you field sobriety tests. These generally include the walk and turn, the one-leg stand and the horizontal gaze nystagmus test....
In Pennsylvania, as in many other states, cash bail may be necessary for those arrested and charged with a crime. If someone does not want to await their court date while in state custody, they will likely need to pay the court a certain amount of money set by the...
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...