What is the criminal court procedure in Pennsylvania? VIDEO

The criminal court procedure or the criminal process in Pennsylvania to put simply would be a person would be investigated by applicable law enforcement. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charges would be followed. A person would be arrested, or a person can, say, surrender. There would be a preliminary arraignment where bail would be set in part, thereafter, the matter would be scheduled for court proceedings, further court proceedings, such as a preliminary hearing, or say Philadelphia operates differently than the Pennsylvania counties where Philadelphia has a municipal court and a municipal court arraignment and a municipal court process. Whereas Pennsylvania counties would have either a summary trial for summary offenses or a preliminary hearing for cases involving misdemeanors and felonies.

After the case proceeds beyond a certain point, there would be a formal arrangement where the court would go to the court of common pleas in the Pennsylvania counties, or if there's a preliminary hearing in Philadelphia and charges are held for court, it would then go to the formal arraignment then to the court of common pleas. There would be pretrial conferences, potential status listings, and so forth where the case would either track towards trial, be it before a judge or a jury, or there would be say a non-trial disposition such as a negotiated or an open, guilty plea.

There's multiple steps in the criminal process in Pennsylvania. Having an experienced Pennsylvania criminal defense attorney will be your best ally to help you understand the process and to protect your rights and interests. They should be involved from as early as possible in the process.

Contact Us Today!

The LLF Law Firm Team has decades of experience successfully resolving clients' criminal charges in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania counties. If you are having any uncertainties about what the future may hold for you or a loved one, contact the LLF Law Firm today! Our Criminal Defense Team will go above and beyond the needs of any client, and will fight until the final bell rings.

This website was created only for general information purposes. It is not intended to be construed as legal advice for any situation. Only a direct consultation with a licensed Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York attorney can provide you with formal legal counsel based on the unique details surrounding your situation. The pages on this website may contain links and contact information for third party organizations - the Lento Law Firm does not necessarily endorse these organizations nor the materials contained on their website. In Pennsylvania, Attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout Pennsylvania's 67 counties, including, but not limited to Philadelphia, Allegheny, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Schuylkill, and York County. In New Jersey, attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout New Jersey's 21 counties: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren County, In New York, Attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout New York's 62 counties. Outside of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, unless attorney Joseph D. Lento is admitted pro hac vice if needed, his assistance may not constitute legal advice or the practice of law. The decision to hire an attorney in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania counties, New Jersey, New York, or nationwide should not be made solely on the strength of an advertisement. We invite you to contact the Lento Law Firm directly to inquire about our specific qualifications and experience. Communicating with the Lento Law Firm by email, phone, or fax does not create an attorney-client relationship. The Lento Law Firm will serve as your official legal counsel upon a formal agreement from both parties. Any information sent to the Lento Law Firm before an attorney-client relationship is made is done on a non-confidential basis.

Menu