Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Zak T. Goldstein, Esquire
The Pennsylvania Superior Court has decided the case of Commonwealth v. Lloyd, 2025 PA Super 93, affirming the denial of the defendant’s petitions to expunge two sets of charges stemming from alleged domestic violence incidents against his former girlfriend. The defendant sought expungement after the cases were…
Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Zak T. Goldstein, Esquire
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has decided the case of Commonwealth v. Foster, re-affirming the rule that the police generally may lie to you during an interrogation and still use any statement they have obtained in court against you.In Foster, the Court considered whether a detective’s misrepresentation that…
Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Zak T. Goldstein, Esquire
Being charged with a gun crime in Pennsylvania doesn’t automatically mean your life is over. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to prison. And it certainly doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to move forward.Yes, gun charges are serious. But they’re also often defensible. And with the…
Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Zak T. Goldstein, Esquire
If you’ve been charged with a gun offense in Philadelphia, you may have seen multiple statutes listed on your charging documents. They could include VUFA § 6106, § 6108, and § 6105. These numbers refer to different sections of Pennsylvania’s Uniform Firearms Act, and they carry very…
Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Zak T. Goldstein, Esquire
Many people are arrested and charged with carrying a concealed firearm without a license (VUFA § 6106) even when the gun wasn’t actually on them. It may have been found in a car, a bag, or a house that actually belonged to someone else. In these cases,…
Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Zak T. Goldstein, Esquire
If you’re facing a gun charge in Philadelphia, one of the most important tools your defense attorney may use in fighting your case is a motion to suppress. But what is a suppression hearing, and how can it help you beat the case?In many gun prosecutions, the…
Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Zak T. Goldstein, Esquire
If you were arrested for a gun charge in Philadelphia or anywhere in Pennsylvania, one of your first concerns may be: “Can I get this off my record?” Whether you’re worried about a background check for a job, a professional license, or future firearm rights, understanding expungement…
Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Zak T. Goldstein, Esquire
The Pennsylvania Superior Court has decided the case of Commonwealth v. Vializ-Rios, again holding that aggravated assault as a felony of the first degree does not merge for sentencing purposes with aggravated assault as a felony of the second degree. The Court held that F2 aggravated assault…
Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Zak T. Goldstein, Esquire
In Commonwealth v. Farlow, 2025 PA Super 76, the Pennsylvania Superior Court reversed an order dismissing charges on Rule 600 speedy trial grounds, holding instead that Rule 1013—not Rule 600—governs speedy trial calculations in cases tried in the Philadelphia Municipal Court. The Court held that pre-arrest delay is…
Pennsylvania Superior Court Reverses Conviction Based on Warrantless Shoebox Search
Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Zak T. Goldstein, Esquire
In Commonwealth v. Herlth, 2025 PA Super 73, the Pennsylvania Superior Court reversed a drug conviction after concluding that a warrantless search of a shoebox violated the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I,…
