Best Criminal Defense Lawyers in State College, PA

We are conveniently located at 124 West Bishop Street, Bellefonte, PA 16823, five minutes from the intersection of Interstate 80 and Interstate 99. You can get directions here.

It is preferable, but not essential, to meet in person before a hearing. Modern technology allows us to discuss your case over the phone, manage payments, and share important documents remotely by various means of communication. However, this does not mean that you cannot meet with us prior to your hearing. Our team is always willing to meet with our clients in our office whenever we are available to discuss their case. Should you decide that you want to come to our office, it's important that you call ahead and schedule an appointment. Otherwise there may not be an attorney available to you for some time, if we are helping other clients in the office or in Court. Whether we meet in advance or not, we always plan to meet our clients at the court 30 minutes prior to a hearing. At this time we will go over any documents that need to be completed, tell you what is likely to occur at the hearing, and discuss any changes from the previously discussed strategies and plans for your case. Our offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. We can also schedule an evening or weekend appointment if you are not available during regular business hours.

It is normal for the police to ask you for a statement. You have the absolute right to not speak to the police and the right to request an attorney. These rights are guaranteed under the 5th and 6th amendments of the US Constitution. There are situations when you should talk to the police. However, you should not do this without an attorney. At the bare minimum you should at least speak with an attorney first before you give your statement. When giving a statement you should be mirandized by the police officer before the interview takes place. You should also have your attorney with you for the interview. These interviews may be recorded either by audio only or by video. It is usually in your best interest to have the interview recorded this way nothing can be taken out of context and the questions and answers can be reviewed later if needed. Giving a confession during one of these interviews does not mean you will get a lenient or favorable sentence. The police have no control over your sentence. All they can do is tell the District Attorney that you co-operated and gave a confession. The plea offer is up to the District Attorney and the sentencing is ultimately determined by the sentencing Judge.

As a client of Manchester and Associates, we will provide you with copies of any court notices or orders requiring your appearance through the mail. In addition to this, we also call all clients a week ahead of any previously scheduled Court dates, to remind them of their court date and to let them know which attorney will be present at the court hearing. Should you have any questions as to when or where your next court date is our staff will be happy to help you out.

Generally, the next Court date that you will be given is called the Formal Arraignment. This is the first time that you will be required to go to the main Court of Common Pleas courthouse in the County. You may have already been there depending on how that specific county handles their preliminary hearing. From this point forward you will not return to the Magisterial District Court office. Your case will always be handled at the Court of Common Pleas.