No one should ever try to navigate the criminal justice system alone, especially when charged with a serious felony offense. For the support, experience, and guidance you need, prioritize getting a criminal defense attorney.

You should request a lawyer after you are arrested so that police officers cannot interrogate you without an attorney present. If you speak to the police without a lawyer, you put yourself at risk of making self-incriminating statements that could be used against you as evidence if the charges go to trial. You could go to jail for any criminal conviction, but prison time is more likely for serious felony offenses than it is for misdemeanor offenses.

Call our criminal defense lawyers at (215) 709-7431 for a free, confidential case review from the Liberty Law Team.

Do You Need a Criminal Defense Lawyer if You Are Arrested in Springfield, PA?

If you are ever arrested and questioned by the police, you should get a lawyer. Even if you are completely confused about the reason for your arrest or the police try to reassure you that you are not in a lot of trouble, you still need an attorney.

You can invoke your Sixth Amendment right to an attorney at any time if you are arrested in Pennsylvania. Before entering into a custodial interrogation, police officers must inform you of your Miranda rights, which include the right to an attorney and the right to remain silent. However, you can invoke these rights earlier even without being reminded of them.

What if You Speak to the Police without a Lawyer After an Arrest?

Speaking to the police without a lawyer present after an arrest could lead to self-incriminating statements.

If you waive your right to an attorney or do not request a lawyer and speak to the police without our criminal defense lawyers present, any statements you make can be used as evidence during a criminal trial if the prosecutor pursues charges.

If you answer questions during a custodial interrogation without a lawyer present but were not read your Miranda rights before an interrogation began, which is a constitutional rights violation, any statements you make should be inadmissible, including confessions.

Do You Need a Criminal Defense Lawyer if You Are Charged with a Crime in Springfield, PA?

If you have not already gotten a criminal defense lawyer following your arrest, you certainly need to obtain an attorney if the prosecution pursues charges against you and takes them to court.

You need someone to help you through the preliminary arraignment, which can happen hours after arrest, as well as the preliminary hearing and the formal arraignment, where the charges will be read and you will enter a plea, most likely “not guilty.”

You also need a lawyer during a trial to present your defense, cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses, make timely objections, and undermine the prosecution’s case.

How Long Can You Go to Jail for a Misdemeanor Conviction in Pennsylvania?

Although jail time is possible for low-level misdemeanor convictions, it is not guaranteed, and probation, fines, community service, and anger management classes may be more common penalties.

Third-Degree Misdemeanor

The maximum sentence for a third-degree misdemeanor, such as theft of property valued at less than $50, is 1 year in jail. However, it is relatively unlikely that you will be sentenced to the maximum for a third-degree misdemeanor, or even any jail time, especially if you are a first-time offender.

Second-Degree Misdemeanor

For a second-degree misdemeanor conviction for simple assault, theft of property valued between $50 and $200, or other offense, you could spend up to 2 years in jail.

First-Degree Misdemeanor

If you are convicted of stalking, endangering the welfare of a child, theft of property valued between $200 and $2,000, or another first-degree misdemeanor offense, you could be sentenced to up to 5 years in jail.

How Long Can You Go to Prison for a Felony Conviction in Pennsylvania?

Defendants facing felony charges risk going to prison for much longer than those charged with misdemeanor offenses in Pennsylvania. Know that sentencing enhancements might apply in certain instances, and our lawyers can see if that might be an issue in your case.

Third-Degree Felony

For third-degree felony convictions for carrying a concealed firearm without a license, theft of property valued between $2,000 and $20,000, and other offenses, criminal defendants face up to 7 years in a state correctional facility in Pennsylvania.

Second-Degree Felony

Second-degree felonies, such as aggravated assault, are serious offenses and carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

First-Degree Felony

First-degree felonies include the most serious violent and sexual offenses, such as rape, kidnapping, and voluntary manslaughter. If you are convicted of a first-degree felony in Pennsylvania, the maximum sentence is 20 years in prison.

How Long Can You Go to Prison for a Murder Conviction in Pennsylvania?

Being convicted of murder comes with severe consequences that typically include many decades in prison.

Third-Degree Murder

Third-degree murder, which refers to murder with malice but without intent, carries a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison, and there is no mandatory minimum sentence.

Second-Degree Murder

Previously in Pennsylvania, the mandatory sentence for a second-degree murder conviction was life in prison without the possibility of parole. Recently, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided that the mandatory sentence violated the state constitution’s ban on cruel punishments. As a result, there is no longer an automatic life sentence upon a conviction for second-degree murder, and judges must consider individual culpability.

The Pennsylvania legislature has yet to pass a law setting the new sentencing requirements for second-degree murder.

First-Degree Murder

For the premeditated, intentional murder of another person, there is a mandatory sentence of life without the possibility of parole. The death penalty is also a possible sentence in Pennsylvania first-degree murder cases.

Let Us Help with Your Criminal Defense in Springfield, PA

You can call (215) 709-7431 now for a free case assessment from the Liberty Law Team’s criminal defense lawyers.