Philadelphia Attempt to Elude an Officer Lawyer

In an attempt to elude an officer case, officers are looking for a driver’s failure to stop on command, especially in a willful way. Officers will first signal someone with lights, sirens, a hand signal, or over a loudspeaker to ask someone to stop their vehicle. Law enforcement officers will try progressively more apparent signs to stop the driver and pull them over. If a driver is ignoring all these signs and showing no attempt to pull over or is even speeding up, the police will see this as an attempt to elude. When this happens, the officer will pursue the driver more aggressively and may call for additional officers to help out.

Attempt to elude an officer is a serious offense. If you are facing charges, you should contact a Philadelphia attempt to elude an officer lawyer today. An experienced traffic attorney could advocate for you and help you resolve your case favorably.

What Level of Offense is Attempting to Elude an Officer?

In Philadelphia, attempting to elude an officer in a vehicle can be a misdemeanor of the second degree, but if there are certain aggravating factors, it becomes a felony of the third degree. For example, if a driver is eluding the officer and they are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they will be facing a third-degree felony. Also, if the driver crosses state lines while attempting to elude an officer, the driver could be facing a felony of the third degree. These charges carry significant penalties, which is why a defendant should obtain an attempt to elude an officer lawyer in Philadelphia as soon as possible.

What to Expect From an Attempt to Elude an Officer Case

In an attempt to elude an officer case, someone can expect to be arrested and possibly held on bail as some magistrates will see this as a serious charge. They can expect the case will be prosecuted and treated as a separate crime on its own, and they will also face any other charges for the original offense that caused them to flee. Fleeing charges can be treated harshly because the prosecutors and judges see fleeing from an officer as a dangerous offense. Also, they will be concerned with the defendant appearing in court and may be considered a flight risk. A person charged with attempting to elude an officer is considered to be risking dangers to other people on the road, which can be a possible aggravating factor to their case.

A Philadelphia Attempt to Elude an Officer Attorney Could Help

A Philadelphia attempt to elude an officer lawyer could help fight this charge by presenting a strong defense. An attorney may be able to mitigate the charges by explaining the circumstances and why the driver chose not to stop when being asked to pull over. For instance, there may have been an emergency situation, or the driver may have been worried about their safety. A reasonable fear about pulling over in a dark or unsafe area is a reason that can be brought up in court by the attorney and enable the defendant to not face the charge of fleeing and eluding an officer.

Call today for more information about how an attorney could help you.