Bucks County Criminal Trends

There are some charges that show up in Bucks County that law enforcement, prosecutors, and the courts take very seriously for a range of reasons. As a result, certain prosecutorial trends have emerged in criminal cases throughout the area. A Bucks County criminal defense lawyer is able to speak more completely about why and how these trends have affected the criminal court system. Call today for a consultation.

Prosecutorial Priorities in Bucks County

In Bucks County, Pennsylvania prosecutors often focus on crimes involving narcotics and other crimes which attack the stability of an entire community. Attorneys focus specifically on narcotics because the conception is that narcotics crimes need to an abundance of other crimes petty thefts, theft of services and things along that manner. If they control the narcotics and limit the narcotics in a particular neighborhood is the belief that violent crimes, nuisance crimes can be eliminated.

Bucks County district attorneys will often seek higher sentences when individuals are charged with possessing, possession with intent to distribute of high risk drugs such as cocaine, heroin or PCP. Those three drugs are targeted the most amongst prosecutors because of the street level drugs tend to be the most addictive and harm causing. Therefore, if an individual is charged with possession and or distribution of any of those types of drugs it is central for them to seek out on services of an experienced Bucks County criminal defense attorney. Without the right lawyer on your side an individual faces long periods of incarceration and much stiffer penalties.

Priority Charges for Bucks County Courts

Like the charges that the police, prosecutors go after the courts also focus on certain charges. While the three agencies – the police, the district attorney’s office and the courts are separate they all have a common theme behind them to control the nuisance crimes in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

In order to control the crimes involving nuisance to the community first and foremost is to attack the drugs, attack the individuals bringing drugs into the community, and attack the individuals using drugs in the community. The courts find that if the drugs are kept in line and under control that other crimes such as theft, retail thefts and even domestic violence are often kept at a minimum.

It is a feeling whether right or wrong that if drugs were eliminated street level in particular from the community then most other crimes also will be eliminated. Whether or not this is true can be challenged in many ways however it is a very known fact that Bucks County courts attempt at all means to control illegal use and sale of the street level drugs such as cocaine, PCP and heroin.

Those crimes are treated very harshly by the courts and with the aid of an experienced Bucks County criminal defense attorney at your side you can avoid long periods of incarceration, stiff penalties and even achieve certain dispositions involving drug treatment and or the intermediate punishment which allows an individual to be not only treated for drugs but monitored so that the individual can get help during the period of probation.

Issues and Solutions in Current Court System

In Bucks County some of the most prevalent problems involve individuals not knowing the system and attorneys not knowing the system. The system is not the same in every town and county in Pennsylvania. Bucks County in particular has its specific rules and procedures that must be followed in order for an individual to navigate the criminal justice system properly. Whether it be at the preliminary hearing level or the trial level, procedures set in place by Bucks County must be followed for a person to easily choose the goal of entering programs such as ARD or the intermediate punishment program.

Personal Experience With These Issues

The biggest mistakes that I see on a daily basis are having an attorney on your side who is not well versed in these rules and as a result they are taken advantage of by the government and or the courts. Not knowing the rules to help your client. My office has represented individuals in Bucks County for over two decades. We handle thousands of cases and gotten thousands of positive resolutions. Knowing the system, knowing the prosecutors, understanding the courts is at the forefront. Without those three elements any individual is bound to make more than one mistake in handing a criminal defense matter in Bucks County.