If you have been charged with a crime in Elizabethtown, you might be wondering whether you need a defense attorney. After all, if you are innocent, wouldn’t hiring an attorney be seen as a tacit admission of guilt? The reality is that the criminal justice system is imperfect, and false arrests and convictions happen. A criminal defense attorney ensures that the state respects your rights during investigations and gives you a fair trial in front of a judge and your peers.
The attorneys at Chieppor & Egner, LLC, have committed themselves to protecting the rights and freedoms of those accused of crimes. We can defend you from criminal charges and pursue a charge reduction or outright case dismissal. A charge is just that: a charge and not a conviction. You have the right to defend yourself in a court of law, and our attorneys can assist. We are experienced trial lawyers who can anticipate the prosecution’s case to provide a strong defense.
Contact us online or call our office at 717-366-7145 today. Send us a message today to schedule a case review with a Lancaster County criminal defense attorney serving Elizabethtown.
Our attorneys provide criminal defense for a wide range of charges in Elizabethtown, including:
Auto theft
Disorderly conduct
Domestic violence
DUI
Drug crimes (e.g., possession, distribution, etc.)
Firearm crimes and restoration
Expungement and pardon
Sex crimes
Traffic violations
Court order violation
Our attorney, Jonathan Chieppor, has prior experience working for the district attorney’s office and now uses that experience and knowledge to protect Lancaster County residents from criminal charges. Partner Alex Egner received his training as a prosecutor, which gives him a similar advantage in defending the accused. Together, the attorneys of Chieppor & Egner, LLC, dedicate themselves to upholding justice in Pennsylvania’s criminal system.
Like most other states, Pennsylvania law divides crimes into misdemeanors and felonies. Pennsylvania also defines a separate category of charges called summary offenses that work differently than misdemeanors and felonies.
Summary Offenses
Summary offenses are the lowest charge and include most minor traffic offenses and non-traffic offenses like public intoxication, harassment, trespassing, underage drinking, and retail theft under $50. Most summary offense convictions carry a fine of up to $300 and a maximum prison sentence of 90 days. Summary offenses are eligible for expungement after five years of no other criminal convictions, and organizations cannot use summary offense convictions to make decisions about employment or licensing eligibility.
Misdemeanors
Misdemeanors in Pennsylvania are either ungraded or fall into three degrees from least to most serious: third, second, and first.
Ungraded. Ungraded misdemeanors have separate punishments unique to the specific crime. For instance, a DUI with a BAC over 0.16 percent is an ungraded misdemeanor that carries a $5,000 fine and a six-month prison term.
Third-degree. Third-degree misdemeanors are the lowest misdemeanor charges and include crimes like theft, defiant trespassing, check fraud, and marijuana possession without a medical ID card. A third-degree misdemeanor carries a $2,000 max fine and a one-year prison sentence.
Second-degree. Misdemeanors of the second degree include crimes such as reckless endangerment, criminal coercion, assault, high-value vandalism, theft by deception, and resisting arrest. Second-degree misdemeanors carry a maximum $5,000 fine and a two-year prison sentence.
First-degree. First-degree misdemeanors are the most serious of lesser crimes and include theft over $200, assault and battery, weapons violations, child endangerment, threats of violence, and stalking. They carry a maximum $10,000 fine and five years in prison.
Felonies
Felonies are the highest level of criminal charges and have a similar grading as misdemeanors with ungraded felonies and three degrees from least to most serious.
Ungraded. Ungraded felonies have the same purpose as their misdemeanor counterparts: to give unique punishments to specific crimes. For instance, many drug felonies in Pennsylvania are ungraded and have penalties different from the typical classification.
Third-degree. Third-degree felonies carry a $15,000 fine and a prison term of up to seven years and include such crimes as aggravated sexual assault, theft over $2,000, and certain gun crimes.
Second-degree. Second-degree felonies include many serious crimes like aggravated assault, statutory sexual assault, and most cases of burglary. A second-degree felony carries a maximum $25,000 fine and up to ten years in prison.
First-degree. First-degree felonies are the most serious grading for felonies and carry a maximum twenty-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $25,000. First-degree felonies include voluntary manslaughter, arson, rape, sex trafficking, and robbery.
In addition to the above grading for felonies, Pennsylvania has separate felony charges for second and first-degree murder, which carry mandatory life imprisonment and a potential death penalty (18 PA Con. Stat. 1102).
When being charged with a crime, your future and freedoms hang in the balance. A criminal conviction can upend your life and put you under extreme stress and duress. Aside from criminal penalties and potential jail time, criminal convictions can destroy your social and professional reputation. You might lose your job, have difficulties finding housing, and lose the respect of your family, friends, and colleagues. When it comes to your liberty, your choice of criminal defense lawyer can make all the difference in the world.
A criminal defense attorney serving Elizabethtown can help mitigate the worst of the consequences and safeguard your liberties. Using our skills, resources, and knowledge, the defense attorneys at Chieppor & Egner, LLC, will provide a robust defense and ensure that the criminal justice system respects your rights as an American citizen. We have forged our reputation as effective criminal trial lawyers who will use every advantage to seek a satisfactory resolution.
A criminal charge is no laughing matter and requires a serious response. Regardless of what kind of crime, you are entitled to effective criminal defense representation. The attorneys at Chieppor & Egner, LLC, stand firm in our commitment to protecting the rights of the accused with compassionate and resolute legal advocacy. Your freedom is our concern, and we will work tirelessly to protect it.
Contact us online or reach out by phone today at 717-366-7145 to speak to a criminal defense attorney serving Elizabethtown in Lancaster County.
You can follow these directions if you would like to visit our office in person. We’re located at 53 N. Duke Street, Suite 401, in Lancaster.
From the North:
Take US-222 S toward Lancaster and continue onto PA-272 S (Oregon Pike). Turn right onto N Duke St. The destination will be on your right.
From the South:
Take US-222 N toward Lancaster and merge onto PA-272 N (S Queen St). Turn left onto E Orange St, then left onto N Duke St. The destination will be on your right.
From the East:
Take US-30 W toward Lancaster. Take the exit for Walnut St and turn left. Continue on Walnut St, then turn left onto N Duke St. The destination will be on your right.
From the West:
Take US-30 E toward Lancaster. Take the exit for Harrisburg Pike and turn right. Turn right onto N Prince St, then left onto E Orange St. Finally, turn left onto N Duke St, and the destination will be on your right.
