Criminal Defense

If you’re facing criminal charges or have been placed under arrest, you need the staunch representation of a Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney with years of experience, a thorough knowledge of the law, and a commitment to fight for you. Criminal Defense Attorney Joel Dresbold, gives 100% to every case he handles. Whether you’re facing charges for drug crimes, a DUI, or any other criminal offense, attorney Dresbold is the right Pittsburgh lawyer  to call.  With over 40 years experience, he has the right balance of aggressiveness, compassion, and practicality needed in order to help you get the best possible outcome to your case.

Having a Pittsburgh, PA lawyer on your team with a finely tuned, detailed knowledge of the law is one of the best assets you can bring into the courtroom, or to the bargaining table. Most people understand the basics of the law and the rights afforded to them as United States citizens, but don’t have a thorough enough understanding of the laws and statutes to know how to best make the legal system work to their advantage.

When you need a Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney on your side, chances are good that you’re feeling confused, overwhelmed, frightened, and more than a little bit uncertain about the future. Joel Dresbold will help you face tomorrow with a positive outlook and a plan for how to approach and address the charges that have been filed against you, allowing you to move past this negative experience quickly, quietly, and affordably. We believe that working with a skilled attorney should ease your stress and anxiety, not create more, which is why we offer flexible appointment scheduling and convenient payment options designed to fit you. Contact us today for your initial consultation.

Drug Defense

The U.S. Controlled Substances Act sets the criteria for what constitutes criminal offenses in the manufacture, possession, sale and abuse of drugs. According to state and federal laws, a controlled substance considered to be a drug can be:

    • Cocaine
    • Heroin
    • Methamphetamines
    • Barbiturates
    • Marijuana
    • Illegally prescribed or abuse of prescription drugs
    • Altered over-the-counter drugs
    • Other illegal substances

The severity of the punishment for a drug crime depends on the type of substance, the quantity, the intent of possession, and local, state and federal laws. Often when you are arrested for drugs, there are issues of suppression that only a lawyer can know.

If you or someone you know has been arrested for a drug-related crime, we urge you to contact us for representation and counsel. We’re here to help.

Preliminary Hearings

All criminal cases in Pennsylvania begin with a preliminary hearing held before a local magistrate. Often these hearings are held 10 to 14 days after an arrest. The prosecutor and the police will try to encourage you to waive your right to a preliminary hearing for nothing in return. They may try and convince you that this decision will be good for you or that you are being helpful so that they may go easy on you in the future. This is not the case. A preliminary hearing is for your benefit. Don’t give up your rights.

At a preliminary hearing the government holds the burden of proof to show that you committed all of the crimes that they say you did. This is your chance to find out what evidence they have against you. You may discover a suppression issue.  You may be able to have charges dismissed at this stage. This is also your opportunity to put their witnesses on the record in case their story changes later. This may also be a chance to make a deal on all of the charges and avoid further inconvenience or harsher penalties to come.

Only an experienced lawyer knows how to properly turn a preliminary hearing into a benefit for the Defendant. The police will have a highly trained lawyer representing them at this hearing, you should too.  Call Attorney Dresbold today for a consultation.

Excluding Evidence

The most critical issue in whether the prosecution can win its case is how much evidence they have against you. If you are able to successfully limit the amount of evidence they can use, you substantially increase your chances of making a good plea bargain or winning the case if it goes to trial. The best way to limit the amount of evidence the government can use is by suppressing the evidence that they may have obtained illegally.

The United States Constitution and the Constitution of Pennsylvania give people the right to be secure against unreasonable and warrantless searches. They also protect your right to remain silent. It is possible that evidence in your case was obtained illegally. If illegally obtained evidence is properly challenged it could be excluded. Time limits exist in challenging evidence and if it illegally evidence isn’t challenged in time, your right to suppress the evidence could be forever lost.

Call Attorney Joel Dresbold today to see if we can help.

Probation Violation

If you or your loved one has been accused of violating probation, the consequences could be severe. A probation violation can result in a jail term longer than the probation itself. Do not go to a Gagnon I or Gagnon II hearing without legal representation. A judge in a probation violation case presumes you are not treating his sentence as important. Appearing without a lawyer is just further evidence that you are not ready to be taken seriously. Years of your life may be at stake. Call Attorney Joel Dresbold today so that the judge knows you are sincere in your desire to obey his sentence.