Delaware County 32-2-53 Magisterial District Court
You got a summons to appear in a Delaware County Magisterial District Court. Your anxiety is through the roof. It might be for drinking underage or running through a stop sign. In any case, you’re not sure what to do.
Before you enter the doors to the court room, you need to talk with an experienced attorney. You need to call The Law Offices of Amato Sanita. We are here to answer your questions and to help you build a solid defense.
You’ve been ordered to appear at Delaware County Magisterial District Court 32-2-53 in Havertown. That means you will appear before Magisterial District Judge
Elisa C. Lacianca. You may be there for a traffic citation, a bench warrant, or a preliminary arraignment for a criminal offense. Magisterial District Court 32-2-53 serves the election districts for Wards 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 in Havertown.
Havertown has several Magisterial District Courts. Check your paperwork to verify the exact address and location of the court you’ve been summoned to.
Magisterial District Courts throughout Pennsylvania are responsible for hearing several types of cases. People appear for traffic and non-traffic citations. The court also handles preliminary arraignments and hearings on various criminal charges. They are there to settle landlord/tenant disputes as well as civil cases where damage claims are under $12,000.
Delaware County Magisterial District Courts
A summary offense is the lease serious offense in the state of Pennsylvania. These cases are decided in Magisterial District Courts. Summary offenses include charges like disorderly conduct, underage drinking, criminal mischief, and first-time retail theft for items under $150.
Magisterial judges preside over Magisterial District Courts in Pennsylvania. They have the duty of administering oaths and performing marriages, on top of presiding over court.
Delaware County is home to 33 Magisterial District Courts. When criminal charges are brought, the first stop is in this type of court, before they move to the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas. Defendants appear in Magisterial District Court for preliminary arraignment and preliminary hearings.
For those charged with a traffic citation or a criminal offense, you need a lawyer at your side. The attorney can assess your case, answer any questions you have, and help you mount a tenacious defense. A skilled attorney knows several defense strategies that can help you.
You might think a summary offense is something you can handle yourself. That would be a mistake. A single summary offense comes with serious consequences. The judge can remand you to jail for 90 days on your first offense. If you’ve had prior offenses, that could double to 180 days in jail. You could also face up to $300 in fines.
Why You Need an Experienced Attorney in Delaware County Magisterial District Court
What could happen if you decide to plea guilty to a summary offense? The consequences of your guilty plea are more serious than you might think.
Let’s say you go to jail for 90 days. You could lose your job. A criminal record might make it difficult to get another job when you get out. That record could make it hard to find a place to live in the future. The consequences of that simple guilty plea is not as straightforward as it sounds.
Before you go to court, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney to defend you against the summary offense charges. The expertise and knowledge of that lawyer can help you attain a positive outcome. In some cases, you might be able to get the charges dropped to a lesser offense or even get them dropped altogether.
Being charged with disorderly conduct is a good example. The attorney can find eyewitnesses and surveillance video showing there’s not enough evidence to prove your guilt.
If you’ve been summoned to Delaware County Magisterial District Court 32-2-53, call The Law Offices of Amato Sanita today. We understand the Pennsylvania justice system and stand ready to help you.
