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610-436-1410You do not have to wait for criminal charges before calling a lawyer. If detectives are calling you or the police searched your property, they may already be building a case.
A Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyer from Skinner Law Firm can step in before formal charges are filed. We can speak with investigators and review subpoenas or warrant paperwork before you respond. If you believe you are being investigated, contact our Pennsylvania criminal investigation lawyers today for help avoiding formal charges.
Police do not always tell you that you are under investigation. You might learn about it from a detective’s phone call or paperwork delivered by officers. Or maybe a friend or coworker casually mentions that the police have been asking about you.
You should take the possibility of an investigation seriously if:
One of these signs does not mean charges are a sure thing. However, it does mean you should not treat the investigation like a misunderstanding you can explain away on your own. If police are asking about you, an under investigation lawyer in Pennsylvania can help you respond before you unintentionally give officers information they did not already have.
Before charges are filed, police are trying to answer one question: can they gather enough proof to convince the prosecutor to file a criminal complaint? You might see only the detective’s call or the warrant at your door, even while police are still building the case and beginning the Pennsylvania criminal process.
During a Pennsylvania criminal investigation, law enforcement can use tools such as:
A search warrant is a serious sign that police are looking for evidence. Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure 201 allows a warrant to authorize a search for contraband or property connected to a crime. If police are using court-approved tools to build the case, you should not wait until charges are filed to learn what it is that they are trying to prove.
Do I need a lawyer during a criminal investigation in Pennsylvania? Yes, if police are asking you questions about something that could lead to charges. A detective may make the interview sound like a chance to clear things up, but your answers can give police the missing piece they need.
You do not have to be the person answering every question. Your lawyer can speak with investigators before you respond. Before you agree to explain what happened, make sure you understand the risk of giving police more information.
Your PA criminal defense early intervention lawyer can step in before police send the case to prosecutors. No lawyer can promise that an investigation will end, but you do not have to handle detective calls or legal paperwork alone.
You do not have to be the person answering every question. When police want to interview you, we can speak first and find out what they are asking about.
That communication can change the way the investigation unfolds. Sometimes the safest answer is no interview at all. Other times, you can respond through counsel so you are not sitting across from detectives before we know what they already have. The point is to keep police from getting new evidence through your own answers.
A subpoena should not be ignored, but you should not respond blindly either. Pennsylvania law allows subpoenas in criminal proceedings, and ignoring a properly served subpoena can lead to serious consequences.
Before you produce documents or appear to testify, we can review what the subpoena demands. If it asks for too much or creates a risk for you, we can decide how to respond without handing over extra material. A subpoena can feel like a command to give police everything immediately, but you should know what it requires before you act.
A search warrant does not mean the police did everything correctly. Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure 203 requires probable cause supported by sworn affidavits before a search warrant can be issued. While Rule 206 requires the application to identify what police want to search for.
The affidavit shows what police told the judge before the warrant was approved. We can review whether that information supported the search. We can also compare the warrant with what officers actually searched. If police searched outside what the warrant allowed, that can affect how we respond while the investigation is still active.
A search warrant and a subpoena both mean investigators want information, but they do not put you in the same position. Under Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure 203, a search warrant requires probable cause supported by sworn affidavits. Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5904, a subpoena can require a person to appear or produce records in a criminal proceeding.
Here is how those differences can affect your next move:
You should not assume either document is harmless. If police searched your property, we need to compare what the warrant allowed with what officers actually did. PA Rule of Criminal Procedure 206 requires a search warrant application to identify what police want to search for.
If you received a subpoena, your Pennsylvania pre-charge investigation lawyer can review it before you hand over information that gives investigators more than the law requires.
A grand jury investigation is difficult to read from the outside. You might receive a subpoena before prosecutors tell you what they are trying to prove. You might also be asked to testify before you know whether they view you as a witness or a potential target.
An investigating grand jury can involve:
Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 4549, a witness subpoenaed to testify or produce materials before an investigating grand jury is entitled to counsel, including assistance while being questioned.
Before you appear, we need to review what the subpoena requires and what risk, if any, your answers could carry. Your grand jury investigation lawyer in Pennsylvania can help you prepare for questioning without giving prosecutors more than the law requires.
Can a lawyer stop charges from being filed in PA? The prosecutor controls that decision. Pre-charge defense work can still influence what police and prosecutors see before they decide whether to file a criminal complaint.
Your defense lawyer can sometimes affect the charging decision by:
Pre-charge work gives us a chance to act while prosecutors are still evaluating the case. If police are building the investigation around a misunderstanding, we can try to correct it before charges are filed. If the proof is weaker than investigators think, we can work to put that information in front of the right people before the case reaches court.
Police might not tell you whether they see you as a witness or a potential target. If the questions keep coming back to what you did or what you owned, do not answer before speaking with us.
Police generally need a warrant or a valid legal exception to search your phone during a criminal investigation. If officers ask for consent, do not unlock the phone or share your passcode before we review the request.
No. You do not have to answer a detective’s questions. You can decline to answer and ask to speak with us before police question you.
Do not ignore a subpoena. Send it to us before you produce documents or appear to testify. A subpoena can carry consequences if you ignore it, but we should review what it actually requires before you respond.
Yes. Investigators can contact people around you during a criminal investigation. Do not tell anyone what to say, and do not ask anyone to lie for you. If police are reaching out to people who know you, we can help you respond without making the investigation worse.
Yes. Police can investigate you before they contact you. They might watch a location before you ever hear from a detective. They might also review records or interview other people while you have no idea the investigation has started.
Yes, if detectives are calling or police served paperwork. You should also contact us if someone tells you investigators asked about you. We can step in before prosecutors decide whether to file charges and help you avoid giving police information they do not already have.
If police are asking questions or serving paperwork, the investigation is already underway. Skinner Law Firm can help before formal charges are filed. We can speak with investigators when that helps your defense and help you avoid giving police information they do not already have.
Use our contact form to reach your Pennsylvania criminal investigation attorney before the next police call gives investigators another chance to build a more compelling case against you.