As a suburb of Pittsburg, more than 28,000 individuals know Monroeville Borough as a safe place to live, work and raise a family. Pittsburgh regularly ranks as one of the most secure big cities in the U.S., and this lack of crime often extends throughout the metropolitan area. However, while you may usually enjoy the peaceful nature of Allegheny County, crime always exists in some form. You might even find yourself the primary suspect for an offense. If you are being investigated by the police or have been charged with a state or federal crime, you need to contact the Pittsburgh and Monroeville Borough criminal defense attorneys at Worgul, Sarna & Ness, Criminal Defense Attorneys right away.
When law enforcement wants to question you or prosecutors have charged you with a crime, you have the right to an attorney. In fact, you always have this right. The police can neither take it away nor prevent you from contacting a lawyer or calling your family to arrange representation for you. If you are in a difficult or intimidating legal situation, the best thing you can do for yourself is to invoke this right and to begin working with an experienced Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney immediately. By having a lawyer at your side during a police investigation and all court appearances, you have someone ready to defend your rights and put your interests first.
By calling Worgul, Sarna & Ness, Criminal Defense Attorneys at (412) 281-2146, you can schedule an initial free consultation to discuss your case. If you choose to work with us, we will fully investigate your situation, analyze the law related to your case and build you the strongest defense possible under the law. We offer you understanding yet aggressive representation. Our main pursuit will always be to achieve the best possible outcome.
At Worgul, Sarna & Ness, Criminal Defense Attorneys, we have experience in representing individuals charged with a wide array of offenses.
Monroeville Borough Assault
Under Pennsylvania law, you can be charged with simple assault if you intentionally cause, try to cause or reckless cause bodily injury to another. You can also be charged with this crime if you negligently cause bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon, like a gun, or if you attempt through physical menace to make another person fear imminent serious bodily injury. When prosecutors are trying to prove you are guilty of assault in court, they do not usually have to show that the alleged victim was physically harmed in any way. Assault looks at your alleged actions and not whether those actions actually led you to come into contact with another person or whether another person was injured during the incident.
Simple assault is often charged as a second-degree misdemeanor. You can be sentenced to a fine and up to 2 years in prison. However, other factors can decrease the charge to the third degree or raise it to a first-degree misdemeanor offense. For example, if you are over 21 years old and are found guilty of assaulting a victim younger than 12, then you face up to 5 years in prison.
Monroeville Borough Aggravated Assault
It is also possible that you can be charged with aggravated assault – a more serious crime than simple assault if the police believe you were part of a violent altercation. Under Pennsylvania law, prosecutors can charge you with aggravated assault if you use a deadly weapon to intentionally and knowingly try to seriously hurt another person and demonstrate an extreme indifference to the value of human life. You will likely face this crime as a second-degree felony if law enforcement believes you shot or stabbed someone or hit another individual with your car. You face up to 10 years in prison and a fine for aggravated assault.
Domestic Violence in Allegheny County
Pennsylvania has specific laws addressing when individuals harm members of their family, individuals within their household, current and former spouses, sexual partners, and the other parent of their children. The state’s domestic abuse law covers simple assault, aggravated assault, stalking, sexual assault, rape and false imprisonment. When law enforcement believes you committed one of these crimes against an individual with a personal relationship to you, then you face harsher charges and penalties.
If you have been accused of assaulting a family member, boyfriend or girlfriend, spouse, ex or another individual who lives in your house, the prosecutors do not have to prove that you actually hurt the other person. Prosecutors only need to demonstrate to the court that you caused the other person fear of imminent serious injury. If they succeed, you face years in prison.
Pittsburgh DUI
Facing a DUI for the first time or for the third time can be equally intimidating. When you have never experienced this kind of situation before, you may fear harsh penalties such as jail time and lengthy license suspensions. When you have previously been charged or convicted of DUIs, you know that it may be more difficult to prove your innocence this time and you will have to submit to a harsher punishment if you are convicted. However, when it comes to legal representation for your DUI, your past does not matter. The attorneys of Worgul, Sarna & Ness, Criminal Defense Attorneys, LLC understand the ins and outs of Pennsylvania’s tiered DUI system. We will fight to have your charges reduced or dropped. If your trial moves forward, we will aggressively defend you in court and seek to minimize the consequences of a conviction.
Our Monroeville Borough Criminal Defense Attorneys Are Here to Help
When the police arrest you and tell you that you are being charged with one or more crimes, your first thought should be to do whatever is necessary to protect your rights and defend yourself in the eyes of the law. The best way to do this is to remain silent and call a criminal defense attorney at Worgul, Sarna & Ness, Criminal Defense Attorneys. Our experienced legal team will perform a deep investigation into your situation and analyze the law in order to build you a strong defense.
Call (412) 281-2146or contact us online to schedule an initial consultation.
