Legal Question in Criminal Law in Pennsylvania

Re: possession of marijuana & under age drinking

If this young man has no prior criminal convictions, then he should be able to get out of the situation without a record - there will be some hoops to jump through. If he has a prior arrest, he'll have to either fight the case at trial or he will likely end up having a criminal record. Total fines should be relatively minimal - well under $1,000.00. Legal fees range depending on who the attorney is and where he or she is located. A local lawyer would likely charge less than a lawyer coming from Philadelphia, for example. Just remember, with lawyers as with everything else, you get what you pay for.

As to future ramifications, the biggest one that I see in this case is the inability to get federal student loan aid if there should be a conviction. There is also a bar on holding certain types of professions - such as nursing - if someone has a drug conviction. The employment bars are different state by state.

I do not recommend trying to handle this legal issue without a well-qualified criminal defense attorney. If money is a concern - well-qualified criminal defense attorneys include the Chester County Public Defender's office.

Good luck.

Re: possession of marijuana & under age drinking

If the defendant has no prior drug convictions, he may be able to get the charges dismissed after a period of probation. Fines and costs would be $500 to $1000 depending on length of probation. If the charges are dismissed, the defendant would have the right to expunge, or erase, the record and maintain a clean slate. This is extremely important for future employment, education and federal benefits.

There are also driver's license implications for both drug charges and the 6308 charge.

Please call if you would like to discuss this further.

Jim