Upper Darby Township Criminal Defense Lawyer
to top
When you are facing criminal charges or a criminal investigation, you need to take every step to protect your constitutional rights, life, and future. Depending on the offense, you could be looking at jail or prison time, substantial fines, and other penalties like needing to register as a sex offender, relinquishing your driving privileges, or losing your professional license.
Whether you have been charged with a DUI or fraud, it’s simple – having an experienced Delaware County criminal defense lawyer means fighting your charges. At Fienman Defense, we provide aggressive, personalized representation to achieve the best possible outcome for your legal situation. We know that this is one of the most stressful situations in your life – perhaps the most stressful – and we are here to guide you through the process. We will defend you with persistence in the Delco courts.
It may feel like things are bleak, but we are here to help. There is always something that can be done to improve your legal situation, and Upper Darby Township criminal defense lawyer Michael Fienman can explain what your options are. If you’re not sure where to go from here, just give us a call. We offer free, confidential legal consultations to learn about the details of your situation and walk you through what the next steps are.
Upper Darby Township Criminal Defense
In all criminal cases in Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth bears the burden of showing that you committed a crime beyond a reasonable doubt in order to convict. So how can a criminal defense attorney help?
An Upper Darby Township criminal defense lawyer can do the following, and much more:
- Learn the Commonwealth’s evidence against you and argue for illegally obtained evidence to be suppressed
- Build a defense using witnesses, technology, or other counter-evidence to prove that you are not guilty
- In some instances, appear on your behalf for court appearances
- Negotiate for your charges and/or penalties to be reduced
- Prepare for trial and litigate your legal case before a judge or jury
- Help you with the expungement process (if you are eligible)
If you are looking up information on how to help someone who is being held in police custody or who is being held without bail, please be sure to contact us. Fienman Defense does jail consultations and also represents clients in bail hearings to help get your loved one or friend out of jail.
Depending on the charge, you may face severe penalties like thousands of dollars in fines, months or even years in prison, and more. Certain crimes even come with mandatory minimum sentences under Commonwealth law.
But the long-term consequences of even a misdemeanor conviction are damaging. If convicted of a crime – even one that you are eventually able to have expunged – you might be facing these ramifications:
- Losing your license and driving privileges. This makes getting to work, school, church, or other obligations difficult or impossible.
- Losing your professional license, especially if you are a teacher, nurse, lawyer, doctor, or other occupation regulated by a state or national board. You may face lower earnings and career limitations.
- Losing the ability to have your children live with you, or even visitation rights. If you are a parent or guardian with a criminal record, another party involved in your personal life may try to prevent you from seeing or living under the same roof as your loved ones.
- Losing federal student financial aid. It’s even possible that your college or university may require you to withdraw, and you could lose private institutional funding. It’s an often discussed matter, but higher education is extremely expensive. Losing your financial aid or institutional support could mean a dramatically different life.
- Having to leave the country. If you are not a U.S. citizen and you are convicted of an egregious crime or one of moral turpitude, you could face having your documentation revoked and deportation.
With your life, future, and reputation at stake, it’s essential to have an experienced lawyer representing your best interests.
DUI in Upper Darby Township
If you have been charged with a DUI in Upper Darby Township, you’re likely wondering what will happen to you. Is a DUI a criminal charge or a traffic charge? Will I have to go to jail? Will a DUI charge mean losing my license?
We can help answer those questions, and we suggest calling us for a free case evaluation to speak directly with attorney Michael Fienman: (610) 565-4761. Pennsylvania DUIs are harshly prosecuted, but there are many ways to defend you.
If you have been charged with a DUI for the first time, you may be eligible for something called Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD). After the successful completion of this program, your DUI charge could be expunged. ARD is not automatically given for first DUIs, and it’s not available for all first-time DUI defendants, so it’s best to consult with an attorney.
For any DUI case, there are aspects of your arrest or charge that can be called into question. These may include:
- Showing how unreliable field sobriety tests are
- Fighting the inconsistencies or errors with DUI testing (including blood and breath tests)
- Disputing testing devices for calibration errors
- Examining the situation to determine whether your rights were violated during the traffic stop
There are many other ways in which an experienced DUI attorney would defend your case, but that depends largely on the circumstances of your specific case.
Traffic Defense in Upper Darby Township
Every day, people are pulled over in Upper Darby Township and issued traffic citations. You might ask yourself, “Why should I fight my ticket?” The answer is different for each person. Some people want to avoid paying more money over the long haul as a result of increased insurance premiums. (Even a single speeding ticket can lead to a double-digit increase in insurance, based on national statistics.) Others want to avoid points on their license, since accruing demerit points on your driving record can result in remedial driving classes and restricted driving privileges. In some instances, people with too many demerit points can lose their driving privileges altogether.
If you have a clean driving record, it’s even more important to keep your record clean. It’s easy to end up with traffic citations, like for a fender bender where you might be charged with failure to yield or following too closely. You never plan to get into a car accident, but sometimes conditions aren’t ideal.
We suggest speaking with a Delaware County traffic attorney to see what can be done. While some people want to represent themselves in traffic court, it’s always suggested that you hire an attorney to handle your case. Lawyers have experience negotiating with prosecutors, disputing the police officer’s report, and pulling the evidence to defend your rights as a motorist.