Decorating your home during the holiday season is a fun bonding experience for the whole family. However, you also want to rest assured that you're honoring safe practices when putting up decorations. Risk of fire or injuries should be a constant concern, one that...

Immigration has become a very heated topic in the last few years, as the current U.S. administration has made several moves to limit the number of immigrants the United States will accept. Many of those here on visas or with green cards have been concerned how changes...

Most college students have a lot of on their plate: keeping up with schoolwork, often working a part-time job and participating in all the fun activities that surround college life. However, with much more freedom than they had in high school, they may not always make...

State troopers in Pennsylvania have a zero-tolerance policy against driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If you choose to drive under the influence, state police will be on the lookout. They will not hesitate to arrest you for a DUI if you are impaired....

Most drivers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere know that getting caught driving under the influence can have stiff consequences. As a commercial motor vehicle operator, however, DUI charges may have even greater repercussions. At the Bellwoar Kelly, LLP, we have helped...

With the opioid epidemic reaching new heights, more and more people are finding themselves behind bars, facing serious drug charges. Yet that number may be higher than previously realized. According to a recent study out of Minnesota, more than half of the study...

One big aspect of criminal defense are White collar crimes. White collar crime generally refers to crimes involving white collar jobs. White collar jobs refer to those jobs that generally require an individual to work in an office or other administrative setting,...

A DUI conviction can be absolutely debilitating to a person and even their family. A conviction for a DUI can mean much more than just a license suspicion for a year or a year and a half. DUI basics  A conviction for a DUI can mean a state conviction...

Pennsylvania Rule of Evidence 609 pertains to when a witness may be impeached with a prior conviction.  Pennsylvania allows for either party, in a criminal case, to impeach any witness with a select category of prior convictions.  In Pennsylvania, this...

In Pennsylvania death penalty cases, where the prosecution is seeking the death penalty, the prosecution must prove that there is an aggravating factor present to warrant the death penalty. The PA Legislature set forth a list of factors that are deemed aggravating for...

In Pennsylvania death penalty cases, the Legislature created a statute outlining mitigating circumstances a jury shall consider when determining whether to impose a sentence of death or life.   There are (8) factors to be considered: defendant has no significant...

In Pennsylvania, a person who is convicted of the crime of possession with the intent to deliver can face a number of mandatory minimum sentences.  One of the factual scenarios that can activate a mandatory minimum sentence is where a firearm is located in close...