St. Patrick’s Day Citation? THIS is Why You Need a Lawyer

All the usual suspects were present and accounted for in the post-St. Patrick’s Day Parade public safety report: There was public drunkenness, possession of a controlled substance, and disorderly conduct – even simple assault, criminal mischief, and resisting arrest.

According to Pittsburgh’s public safety spokeswoman, two businesses were cited for alcohol violations, too.

In short, Pittsburgh’s celebration of all things Irish was exactly what I told you to expect/warned you about on Friday.

But this Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney isn’t one to say, “I told you so.”

I’m more inclined to say, “How can I help?” Because I get it: Sometimes people with the best intentions – people who just wanted to go have some fun with their friends on a holiday weekend – make mistakes. Further, I’m Irish. So I get that, too. But some of the revelry goes a bit too far.

The question now, after getting into trouble, is: How do I best get myself out of it?

Because here’s the thing: If you have a clear criminal record and you made a bonehead move and got busted this past weekend for, let’s say, marijuana possession or public drunkenness, you could have a problem.

The difference between how well you fare in the criminal court system largely depends on how well versed your Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney is in those statutes – and how well he is able to work with prosecutors to have charges reduced and/or dismissed.

And if you don’t have a clear criminal record? Then it’s even more important for you to hire a qualified criminal defense lawyer who has the legal expertise to help you navigate what will inevitably be a more complicated court experience. Only an experienced and proficient Pittsburgh criminal lawyer who is well versed with the laws of the state can bail you out of this situation.

A skilled and experienced criminal defense lawyer will have a comprehensive knowledge regarding the criminal proceedings and will be able to guide you in the right direction. Criminal charges for drug possession or DUI can have a tremendously dangerous impact on your future. Such criminal charges like possession of marijuana or hit and run, have an effect on not only the academic front but also on the job prospects. These offenses make a permanent place in your criminal records and are often accessible to the public, including your future employers. So, one must be extremely cautious while driving especially on special occasions like St. Patrick’s Day. Apart from this, you can be imposed with huge fines and a considerable period of jail time. It is better to be careful and prevent such occurrences but if after all, you get stuck in such a situation, make sure you resort to an experienced and skilled criminal defense attorney.

An experienced Pittsburgh criminal lawyer will try their best to request for the dismissal of charges before the beginning of the trial in case the prosecutor does not have sufficient admissible evidence against you to make the trial worthwhile. He can also file a motion to suppress the evidence presented by the prosecutor if it can be proved that the evidence presented against you was gathered in a manner which violated your constitutional rights. There are various other ways in which he or she can help you. So, don’t hesitate to contact a good defense lawyer when caught in such circumstances.

I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to hire a good defense attorney as soon as possible. Too many times, people think they can handle their own defense, only to find that they’re in danger of being slapped with more charges and bigger fines and jail sentences than they thought they’d get. By calling me right away, you can potentially avoid jail time, and pay far less in fines and the accompanying costs than you’d have to otherwise.