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Violent Crime Attorneys in Chester County, Pennsylvania

Experienced Attorneys for Your Violent
Crimes Defense

If you have been charged with any of the crimes described below, you should immediately reach out to our attorneys to see how we can help you. All of these crimes come with serious penalties if you are found guilty and can have lifelong effects if not handled correctly. It is important to remember that anytime you are alleged to have committed a crime, you should not speak with anyone—not even police—until you have spoken with your attorney first. It is important to talk to your attorney as soon as possible to establish any defenses that you may have to the crimes that are being alleged. If you or a loved one is alleged to have committed any of the following crimes, please contact us today to see how our experienced team of attorneys can help.

Simple Assault

Under Title 18 § 2701 Simple Assault is defined as the following:

A person is guilty of assault if he/she:

  1. attempts to cause or intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to another;

  2. negligently causes bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon;

  3. attempts by physical menace to put another in fear of imminent serious bodily injury; or

  4. conceals or attempts to conceal a hypodermic needle on his person and intentionally or knowingly penetrates a law enforcement officer or an officer or an employee of a correctional institution, county jail or prison, detention facility or mental hospital during the course of an arrest or any search of the person.

Simple assault is generally graded as a second-degree misdemeanor. In some instances, such as a mutual fight, a simple assault can be graded as a third-degree misdemeanor. If you are found guilty of a second-degree misdemeanor, you are facing two years and a fine of $5,000; if you are found guilty of a third-degree misdemeanor, you are facing one year and a fine of $2,000. Anyone facing these penalties needs to have an attorney who is willing to aggressively represent them. You may have a defense to the charge of simple assault, you may also qualify for a county’s ARD program. The most important thing to remember is to speak to an attorney now; do not wait.

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Strangulation

Effective December 2016, the Pennsylvania Legislature established the crime of strangulation. Under Title 18 § 2718 strangulation is defined as the following:

A person commits the offense of strangulation if the person knowingly or intentionally impedes the breathing or circulation of the blood of another person by:

  1. applying pressure to the throat or neck; or

  2. blocking the nose and mouth of the person

Strangulation is generally graded as a second-degree misdemeanor, but in certain circumstances, it is graded as a second-degree felony. If you are found guilty of a second-degree misdemeanor you are facing two years and a fine of $5,000. Similarly, if you are found guilty of a second-degree felony you are facing 10 years and a fine of $25,000. Strangulation is a very serious charge and can have long-lasting effects on your life. If you are charged with strangulation, it is extremely important to speak with an attorney now.

Aggravated Assault

In certain circumstances, a simple assault or strangulation can turn into an aggravated assault. There are many circumstances that can lead to a person being charged with aggravated assault. The most common way is a fight between two or more people that ends with one party having “serious bodily injury.” Another common way is one person intends to cause another person serious bodily injury but does not accomplish that goal. An example, if you chase someone with a knife or point a loaded gun at someone. Keep in mind that you do not have to complete the act it is the mere attempt with the required intent that can elevate a simple assault to an aggravated assault. The commonwealth or police will look at all the facts involved to determine your intent, including what you did, what you said, and how you acted prior to the event. Another way you could be charged with aggravated assault is by completing a simple assault on a protected class of people. An example of a protected class is police officers, judges or, in some cases, teachers.

Aggravated assault is generally graded as a first-degree felony or a second-degree felony, depending on the subsection you are charged with. If you are found guilty of a first-degree felony, you are facing 20 years and a fine of $25,000; if you are found guilty of a second-degree felony, you are facing 10 years and a fine of $25,000.

It is important to have a team of experienced and dedicated attorneys to fight for your name right from the beginning. The first thing that you want to do at a time like this is to come in and speak with our team so that we can establish the events of the evening. Many times people forget exactly what happened the night of the incident and as time goes on details begin to fade or even change. It is very important to speak to your attorney right away so that you can be on the same page from the beginning. The next thing you will want to go over is if there are any defenses to your case. Did you act in self-defense? Did you have any possible way to escape without harming the other person? Who was the initial aggressor? These are all questions that a skilled attorney will have you thinking about in the initial meeting so that we can begin to prepare your defense. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you ever speak to police officers or a district attorney without your attorney present. This will almost assure that you will give away your constitutional rights and will further delay any just verdict that your case may demand.

If you or anyone you know has been in a situation such as this please do not wait any longer, call or contact us online to schedule an appointment immediately with our team and allow us to fight for you.