Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer

Criminal laws are passed at the state level, but in the city, there are additional or unique laws that can also apply. For example, the gun laws in Philadelphia are stricter than in the rest of Pennsylvania. Knowing what the different laws are in the area you live and work in is important, but it’s always possible to make mistakes. However, criminal charges can make it difficult to find employment and even housing. Working with an experienced Philadelphia criminal lawyer ensures that your future is in good hands.

Being charged with committing a crime does not mean you lose your rights as a citizen. In fact, you should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and treated as such. This means you have the right not to incriminate yourself, the right to an attorney, and the right to a trial by a jury of your peers. You also have the right to await trial while out on bail instead of sitting in a jail cell.

Our experienced Philadelphia criminal lawyers can make sure that your rights are respected throughout the process and that you are not being taken advantage of due to a personal lack of knowledge. If you have been arrested or are under investigation, contact Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates at (215) 372-8667 to start building your defense.

Why Do You Need a Criminal Defense Lawyer

Build Your Defense

Regardless of whether you have been accused of a misdemeanor or a felony, it is necessary to work with an attorney that will build a suitable defense for your case. Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates has the investigative resources necessary to gather evidence and build a case to either demonstrate your innocence or to demonstrate that you did not plan to commit a crime.

Negotiate on Your Behalf

When you work with our office, a Philadelphia criminal lawyer will negotiate with the prosecution if that is in your best interest. This often means working towards an acceptable plea bargain or trying to have the charges reduced prior to going to trial.

Defend You in Court

If your case does go to trial, you are going to want an experienced Philadelphia criminal lawyer on your side. With your future at stake, it is critical that you receive the strongest possible defense.

Before your trial begins, our attorneys will participate in jury selection. This includes assessing the potential jurors and crafting a panel of individuals who might be sympathetic to your position. You do not want someone on the jury who appears biased against you.

Sentencing

If a criminal defendant has accepted a plea bargain or was convicted by a jury, they will be sentenced. Our criminal defense attorneys will also represent you during this process. We will present mitigating factors and reasons why your sentence should be reduced or discuss alternatives to jail time. While a conviction might appear to be the end of the road, there are ways to influence the severity of your sentence.

While a public defender could represent you, they typically have large caseloads and may be unable to dedicate the appropriate amount of time to your particular case. When you retain our law firm, you will receive dedicated representation throughout the entire process.

Penalties for Crimes in Philadelphia

When charged with a crime, it is important to know what the potential penalties are upon a conviction.

Penalties can range from paying fines and being on probation to spending years in prison. Each crime carries different potential penalties, so we can discuss what you could be facing during your consultation.

When Should You Contact a Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer?

The simple answer is, as soon as possible. A criminal conviction will drastically impact your life. If the charges against you are erroneous or if you have been over-charged, you need a pragmatic criminal defense attorney that understands the intricacies and nuances of the Philadelphia criminal justice system.

Hiring an Attorney Does Not Mean You Are Guilty

People are arrested and investigated mistakenly more often than you would like to believe. Just because you are consulting with a criminal defense attorney does not mean you are guilty of a crime. You are only protecting your rights.

If you have not been arrested but are under investigation, you should consult with our experienced Philadelphia criminal defense attorneys. In many situations, it is possible to resolve a criminal investigation without having charges filed against you. Having a skilled Philadelphia defense attorney advocating for you could save you time, embarrassment, expense, and further complications. It is important to remember that law enforcement is not working on your behalf – you have the burden of contacting defense counsel.

Hire a Defense Attorney Before Being Arrested

A criminal case usually starts as a criminal investigation. This initial stage is critical and is the phase where the police will work to build the case against you. Having the advice of a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney could help you avoid grievous errors and could impact how much evidence is collected.

You also want to hire a Philadelphia criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. During the investigation phase, a defense attorney could speed up the process and potentially prevent certain charges from being filed. In situations where charges are inevitable, having an attorney working on your case early in the process will put you in a better position. Depending on the circumstances and potential charges, a skilled lawyer could have the charges reduced. Furthermore, our team of attorneys will help you navigate a confusing criminal justice system.

What About a Public Defender?

You do not have to hire a criminal defense attorney. As you have heard on every police drama, an attorney will be provided for you. You even have the option of representing yourself. However, depending on the seriousness of the charges, neither may be the best idea. To begin with, you should have a competent criminal defense attorney just to determine if the charges against you are legitimate.

While the expense of a defense attorney might appear high, the expense of not having proper representation in a criminal proceeding is greater. In many cases, it could be the difference between being charged with a felony or misdemeanor.

Fighting serious criminal charges could be a long and emotionally exhausting experience. Having a criminal defense attorney you can trust and who is committed to working for your best interests could make all the difference. At Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates, our attorneys and staff want to get you the best possible outcome, not just quickly plead your case and move along to the next one.

What Services Does a Criminal Defense Attorney Provide?

Criminal defense attorneys provide many different services for their clients. First, they will investigate and research the facts of the case, determining if the charges are creditable and if there are any available defenses. This also includes negotiating with the prosecution to work out several potential deals, including lowering bail, reducing charges, and negotiating a more manageable sentence. Deal-making and negotiation have become a vital part of the criminal justice process.

Our Philadelphia criminal defense lawyers will also speak with any witnesses to help further understand the charges against you. If you are facing other problems related to your criminal charges, such as immigration issues, our office will provide the appropriate assistance and advice.

An important role our criminal defense attorneys serve is often personal. While our job is to aggressively advocate for you, you need to fully comprehend the reality of your situation. By providing realistic predictions of the potential outcomes, you will be in a position to make informed choices regarding your defense. The criminal justice system is often frustrating and complicated. Our experienced attorneys cannot change that, but we can make the process more manageable.

What Types of Crime Does a Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Handle?

Our criminal law attorneys have spent over 30 years dedicating themselves to defending Philadelphians from a wide variety of criminal charges. Across over 10,000 cases, Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates have defended residents of Philadelphia from charges including:

Thanks to our background in prosecution, our attorneys are equipped to approach every case with a balanced and well-rounded understanding of the criminal justice system. Our experience as prosecutors allows us to anticipate prosecuting arguments, while our experience as defense attorneys allows us to protect our clients in the courtroom. Additionally, because we have been working within the regional legal community for over 30 years, we have built extensive professional relationships with judges and jurors in Philadelphia and across southeastern Pennsylvania.

Assault

The crime of assault encompasses a wide range of specific charges. Types of assault charges our attorneys have represented over the years include:

Assault and Battery
Aggravated Assault
Misdemeanor Assault
Simple Assault
Criminal Assault
Physical Assault
Sexual Assault
Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Drug Offenses

Drug possession is one of the most common types of criminal charges faced by residents of Philadelphia. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, drug arrests have been on a steady rise since the early 1980s, with drug arrests across the nation exceeding 1.5 million in 2007. Types of drug offense charges we defend include:

Simple Possession
Possession with Intent to Distribute
Prescription Fraud
Drug Cultivation and Manufacturing
Drug Import and Transportation
Drug Trafficking

We have handled drug offense cases involving substances including but not limited to:

Marijuana
Prescription Drugs
Meth
Ecstasy
Cocaine
Heroin
Drug Paraphernalia

DUI Charges

Like drug offenses, DUI offenses are one of the more common criminal charges brought in Philadelphia, with nearly 750 DUI arrests in 2020 alone. In the state of Pennsylvania, if a driver is operating a motor vehicle with a BAC meeting or exceeding 0.08%, they are committing a DUI (Driving Under the Influence). In Pennsylvania, a DUI conviction can result in incarceration, steep fines, temporary license suspension, increased insurance rates, and mandatory ignition interlock device installation.

Sex Crimes

There are many different types of criminal offenses which are considered sex crimes under Pennsylvania law. Over our 30-plus years of experience in the courtroom, our attorneys have defended clients against allegations of:

Sexual Assault
Computer Sex Crimes
Domestic Violence
Solicitation
Indecent Exposure
Child Molestation
Internet Sex Crimes
Rape

Sex crime convictions can result in some of the harshest penalties in Pennsylvania. Not only can the periods of incarceration be lengthy, but convicted sex offenders are forced to enter into a sex offender registry, which is publicly available to friends, family, neighbors, and employers. Many neighborhoods bar registered sex offenders from living in their communities, which can make finding housing exceedingly difficult as well.

White Collar Crimes

Because white-collar crimes are not violent and sensational, they tend to go ignored in media reporting compared to crimes like rape, murder, and assault. Therefore, what many people may not realize is that white-collar crimes are serious criminal charges which can lead to long prison sentences. At Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates, some types of white-collar crimes our attorneys handle include:

Internet Scams
Asset Forfeiture
Racketeering
Public Corruption
Money Laundering
Investment Fraud
Mortgage Fraud

Contact Our Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

If you have been accused of violating a criminal law in Pennsylvania, you could be tried and convicted of a misdemeanor or felony. However, there are legal strategies that could prevent or lessen the impact of a conviction. No matter what the nature of the charge may be, criminal allegations are a serious matter. If you are facing charges of assault, drug crimes, sex crimes, white-collar crimes, theft, forgery, murder, or probation violation, you need a seasoned Philadelphia criminal defense attorney to defend your case in court. Call the law offices of Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates today at (609) 755-3115 in New Jersey or (215) 372-8667 in Pennsylvania, or contact us online to arrange for a free and confidential consultation with our Philadelphia criminal defense attorneys.

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...God bless this man. I was facing 20 plus years with multiple felonies and misdemeanors charges over a violent stabbing case. He ended up getting all my felonies dropped and was able to get my misdemeanors down to one single misdemeanor with ZERO JAIL TIME. I 1000% recommend Paul Mallis !!!

I got a DUI for the second time and of course was scared out of my mind. Gail N. Marr, and the rest of the team eased my mind about the whole process. I am also very happy with the deal I got. If I ever (which I hope I don’t) get into any other trouble, Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates is the one I will call on. Thank you so much for everything! GOD BLESS YOU.

My husband was looking at serious charges including felonies and misdemeanors. Looking at a long time in jail. Went to our prelim hearing and Paul got serious charges dropped except two misdemeanors. During the pre trials Paul got charges dropped to summary offenses and probation. Very satisfied with the end result. I would hire Paul again if needed. Thanks Paul.