Pittsburgh Criminal Defense Lawyer

There are times in people’s lives when the actions they take in just a few minutes affect them for the rest of their lives.  Moments of anger, such as an alcohol-induced bar fight or a road rage incident, or moments of desperation, such as reaching over the counter at a convenience store to take the money from the register to feed a drug addiction, can be life-altering events.  Your life will never be the same if you are arrested for a crime of violence, even if you are not convicted.  The time that you spend choosing which attorney will help you through these times can also be a life-changing event. 

If you are facing charges for a crime of violence, you want an attorney who is going to be involved as early as possible in the process, even before you are arrested.  You want an attorney who will negotiate the terms of your surrender and the terms of your bond.  You want an attorney who will tirelessly work for you to locate witnesses, secure evidence and take whatever other actions are necessary to safeguard your constitutional rights.  You want an attorney who will investigate whether you have an active defense to the charges, such as self-defense or defense of others.  You want an attorney who will challenge each part of the police investigation to ensure that your rights have not been violated.  You want an attorney who is going to stand by your side when it seems the whole world is against you. I am that attorney.

When I take your case, I work closely with a highly skilled investigative team to ensure that no investigative lead or piece of physical evidence is overlooked. The strength of the evidence will let us know how strong the prosecutor’s case is against you. I work with experienced former police investigators and detectives who never leave any evidentiary stone unturned.  They utilize their skills to interview witnesses, examine crime scenes and gather evidence.  We cannot rely solely upon the police investigation, so it is only after we conduct our own investigation that we can properly examine the evidence against you.

Once we have an understanding of the witnesses and evidence that are going to be used against you, we can plan your defense.  When planning your defense, we not only take into account the evidence against you, but we also structure your defense to fit your circumstances.  Each case is different because each person is different.  We do not use a cookie cutter approach when crafting your defense.  We examine things such as your prior criminal record (if any), whether a conviction for a certain crime has any potential immigration issues, whether a conviction for a certain crime will affect any professional licensing status (nurse, doctor, attorney) and any other factors in your life that are going to be affected.

If you have been arrested for a crime of violence, are the target of an investigation, or even think that you might be the target of an investigation, the time to contact an attorney is now.  It is never too soon to have an attorney in your corner, standing by your side and defending your rights.  Please call me today for a free consultation at 412-429-4360, email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or contact me through this website, and let me take control of your legal case while you try to regain control of your life.

Crimes of violence in Pennsylvania include the following offenses:

• Murder, homicide, manslaughter, accessory charges, or aiding and abetting charges;
• Armed robbery, carjacking or home invasion;
• Aggravated assault, simple assault or sexual assault;
• Domestic assault or family violence;
• Arson;
• Burglary;
• Weapons offenses; and,
• Terroristic threats, harassment or stalking