Carla Risoldi, a family law and criminal defense lawyer in Pennsylvania, has managed her own practice, Risoldi Law Offices, LLC, since 1994. An accomplished lawyer, Carla Risoldi has experience with cases involving DUI/DWI, drug offenses, felonies, and other misdemeanors. In Pennsylvania, criminal law has recently changed to reflect the idea that people should get a second chance to move on from their criminal histories, in certain situations.
Interestingly, most people in the state agree that current statutes would further penalize those previously convicted of minor crimes simply by making it difficult to find housing and employment. In fact, many find that a “tough on crime” mentality leads to a higher recidivism rates. And worse yet, it creates an atmosphere where released inmates are penalized for far longer than they are sentenced, often due to harsh terms of post-release parole, which makes them guaranteed to fail. To address this issue, legislatures have proposed laws that reduce the challenges that many former inmates face after being released as well as who can access criminal histories of those convicted of minor. misdemeanor, crimes.
The Clean Slate Act, passed recently, allows those convicted of misdemeanors to have their records sealed after 10 years, provided they do not re-offend and have paid down court-related debt. In addition to having no new convictions, there are other prior convictions which could bar this Clean Slate law applying.
Those who were arrested but not convicted could always petition to have their arrest records, including their photograph and fingerprints formally expunged, but now, under this new law, even absent such an expungement being petitioned for and ordered by the court, the arrest records will be sealed from public view.
Pennsylvania’s probation laws are next on the state legislature’s agenda. In an attempt to address probation laws that are too punitive and increase prison return rates because of technical violations, the legislature is looking to reduce punishments on technical violations. Furthermore, lawmakers seek to cap probationary terms reducing felony probation sentences to five years and misdemeanor sentences to three years.
Someone who is facing a criminal charge should always consult with an experienced attorney as the consequences, even of a minor case, can have long-lasting and unforeseen consequences.
About Carla Risoldi 