Carnot-Moon, Pennsylvania, is a charming little community within Moon Township in Allegheny County. Carnot-Moon has low crime rates compared to the country as a whole, but that doesn’t mean no one is ever charged with a crime here.
If you’ve been charged with a DUI, an assault or domestic violence charge, a drug crime, or any other form of criminal charge, you need an experienced criminal defense lawyer to help you fight the charges and get back to your life.
SMT Legal is a criminal defense firm serving Carnot-Moon and other towns near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Our team of skilled criminal defense lawyers knows what it takes to mount an effective defense against criminal charges of all kinds, from DUI to homicide. If you’ve been charged with a crime in Carnot-Moon, Pennsylvania, contact SMT Legal immediately.
Criminal charges in Pennsylvania fall into three broad categories:
Summary offenses involve minor criminal charges, such as public drunkenness or disorderly conduct. Penalties for summary offenses include fines of up to $300 and a maximum of 90 days in jail.
Misdemeanors are still relatively minor compared to felonies but are more serious than summary offenses. Penalties for a first-degree misdemeanor, the most serious misdemeanor charge, include a fine of up to $10,000 and up to five years in prison. DUI and simple assault charges are both misdemeanors.
Felonies are serious criminal charges like armed robbery, rape, and murder. Fines for a felony are much larger than for a misdemeanor, and prison sentences are longer.
Any criminal charge in Pennsylvania can cause problems beyond the official penalties, including damage to your reputation and your ability to find work or a place to live. Don’t give up if you’ve been charged with a crime. Seek the help of an experienced criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible.
Driving Under the Influence is one of the most common criminal charges because all it takes to commit this offense is an error in judgment. In Pennsylvania, there are three levels of DUI offenses:
General impairment, with a blood alcohol content of .08 to .99. Penalties include up to two years in prison, with a fine of up to $5000.
High BAC, with a blood alcohol content of .10 to .159. Penalties include 48 hours to five years in prison, with a $500 to $10,000 fine.
Highest BAC, with a blood alcohol content of .16 and up. Penalties include 72 hours to five years in prison, with a $1000 to $10,000 fine.
Assault charges in Pennsylvania range from simple assault, which can be as low as a third-degree misdemeanor if the charge relates to a simple fistfight, all the way up to felonies like aggravated assault and strangulation. Various circumstances can make an assault charge more serious, such as being related to or romantically involved with the victim.
Drug crimes in Pennsylvania include a wide range of charges of varying degrees of severity. Simple possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana is a misdemeanor punished by up to 30 days in jail with a $500 fine, while trafficking cocaine or methamphetamine can result in significant fines and years in prison under Pennsylvania law.
There is no criminal charge of domestic violence in Pennsylvania. However, domestic abusers may be charged with harassment, stalking, strangulation, or some other offense. Penalties for these offenses are often more severe if there is a domestic relationship between the victim and the accused. For instance, strangulation is normally a second-degree misdemeanor in Pennsylvania, but it becomes a second-degree felony if the victim is a family member of the accused and a first-degree felony if the victim had a protection from abuse order against the accused.
In Pennsylvania, juveniles are charged with delinquent acts rather than crimes. The Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice System focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment, so a juvenile charge is sometimes an opportunity to help a troubled young person turn their life around.
Sex crimes in Pennsylvania include rape, statutory sexual assault, sexual assault, indecent exposure, and other offenses of a sexual nature. Because this category of crimes includes a wide range of different offenses, the penalties also have a wide range. Some sex crimes, such as indecent assault, are charged as misdemeanors, while others, such as rape of a child with serious bodily injury, carry a penalty of life imprisonment.
Homicide charges are among the most severe criminal charges a person can face. According to Pennsylvania law, homicide is the intentional, knowing, reckless, or negligent killing of another human being. Homicide includes murder, voluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter. Having the best criminal defense lawyer you can get is essential if you face homicide charges, as you can be sentenced to decades in prison if you are convicted.
There are many different weapons offenses in Pennsylvania, including carrying an unregistered firearm, purchasing a firearm for someone prohibited from owning one, possessing a firearm with an altered serial number, and possessing a prohibited firearm. If you’ve been charged with a weapons offense, it can impact your ability to legally own weapons in the future.
Along with state-level crimes like assault or DUI, there are also many federal crimes, including:
Narcotics offenses
Interstate fraud
Bank robbery
Mail fraud
Tax fraud
Defrauding the federal government
If you’re facing federal criminal charges, you need an experienced federal criminal defense law firm to help you mount a vigorous defense. SMT Legal has extensive experience defending against federal charges.
White-collar crimes include a variety of crimes of deception, such as:
Credit card fraud
Bankruptcy fraud
Forgery
Identity theft
Embezzlement
Many white-collar crimes are federal crimes, but some can also be prosecuted under state law. Although white-collar crimes are generally nonviolent, they can still result in fines and prison time. If you’ve been charged with a white-collar crime, contact a criminal defense lawyer immediately.
If you’ve been charged with a crime in Carnot-Moon, Pennsylvania, you could be facing serious personal consequences, including fines and imprisonment. Don’t just resign yourself to a conviction. Hiring the best criminal defense lawyer available is the best thing you can do for yourself and your future.
SMT Legal is a criminal defense firm dedicated to providing effective and compassionate legal services to people charged with a crime in Carnot-Moon, Pennsylvania. We know how to aggressively fight all kinds of criminal charges. If you’ve been charged with a crime in Carnot-Moon or anywhere else in the Pittsburgh area, contact SMT Legal today.
To find our office at 114 Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh, you can use the following directions.
Take I-279 S toward Pittsburgh. Take Exit 2A for Fort Duquesne Blvd. Merge onto Fort Duquesne Blvd, then turn right onto Sixth Ave. Continue onto Smithfield Street. The destination will be on your right.
Take I-79 N and merge onto I-376 E toward Pittsburgh. Take Exit 71A for Grant St. Merge onto Grant St, then turn left onto Sixth Ave. Turn right onto Smithfield Street. The destination will be on your right.
Take I-376 W toward Pittsburgh. Take Exit 71A for Grant St. Merge onto Grant St, then turn left onto Sixth Ave. Turn right onto Smithfield Street. The destination will be on your right.
Take I-376 E toward Pittsburgh. Take Exit 69C for Stanwix St. Merge onto Fort Pitt Blvd, then turn left onto Stanwix St. Turn right onto Fourth Ave, then turn left onto Smithfield Street. The destination will be on your left.
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