Daniel R. Bush

Partner, Chair - Criminal Law

  • Criminal
  • Litigation
Fax610.701.3266

Dan Bush is a criminal defense attorney at Lamb McErlane’s West Chester, PA location. Dan is a former prosecutor in the Chester County District Attorney’s office who has over twenty years of experience prosecuting and defending individuals charged with a crime. He chairs Lamb McErlane’s criminal litigation department and is a partner in the firm.

As a former prosecutor, Dan has a unique view of the problems which his clients bring to him. He knows that to get the best results it is often important to see things from both sides of the law. He has handled thousands of criminal cases of all types and has extensive courtroom experience in all aspects of the criminal justice system.

Dan has significant experience in handling the unique pressures associated with high profile criminal cases. To properly represent a client, Dan knows that you cannot be afraid to fight in court and challenge what law enforcement has done. It is that fighting spirit and his invaluable experience which makes Dan the attorney who you want on your side when facing the daunting challenge of having criminal charges filed against you.

His experience as a criminal defense attorney includes defending against all levels of complex felony and misdemeanor charges, county and statewide grand jury investigations, collegiate student conduct investigations associated with alleged inappropriate conduct. Over the course of his career in criminal law, he has conducted trials, investigations and related pre-trial hearings for all level of crimes.

Regardless of the offense, Dan recognizes that any allegation of criminal activity is serious and can have a devastating impact on a client’s life. In addition to his courtroom experience, Dan has developed a specialty of helping navigate and counsel clients through the often harsh criminal justice system. He represents clients in counties including Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Berks and Lancaster.

In addition to his litigation practice in criminal defense, Dan represents numerous area businesses and is solicitor to a private school in Chester County.

Dan has received an Estate Planning certificate from Temple University’s Graduate Tax Program which he brings to bear in counseling his clients.

ADMISSIONS:

  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

EDUCATION:

  • Temple University School of Law, Estate Planning Certificate
  • Widener University School of Law, JD
  • Widener University School of Management, BS

COMMUNITY SERVICE & AFFILIATIONS:

  • East Bradford Zoning Hearing Board
  • Division 1 College Football Official
  • Sts. Peter and Paul CYO

AWARDS/RECOGNITION:

A Martindale-Hubbell Peer Rating reflects a combination of achieving a Very High General Ethical Standards rating and a Legal Ability numerical rating.

RECENT CASES:

  • Criminal Defense Attorney Daniel Bush represented a Southern Chester County father falsely accused of committing sexual acts on his daughters. After pre-trial proceedings filed by Dan, a Common Pleas Court judge recently dismissed all charges against the man, allowing the family to reunite for the first time in 6 months.
  • Attorney Daniel Bush represented a young man, student-athlete at Villanova University who was charged with attempted rape and related offenses stemming from an incident on campus at the beginning of his freshman year. The Complainant alleged that he forcibly tried to rape her in his dorm room. Shortly thereafter, she told several friends and a Villanova Resident Assistant, but did not formally report anything to the police for approximately 18 months, at which time the young man was charged with crimes, immediately kicked out of school and lost his football scholarship. Four and a half years later the case proceeded to a four day jury trial in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, after which the jury acquitted him of all charges.
  • Represented a 28 year old man charged with groping a minor, which included several Megan’s Law offenses. Despite what the Commonwealth believed was “overwhelming” evidence of guilty of this sexual offense, we proceeded to a 5 day trial, which ended in a hung jury. After preparing to re-try the case, the Commonwealth tendered a plea offer to a low level misdemeanor, without any Megan’s Law consequences, and which included only probation.
  • Represented a woman charged with a history of several previous DUIs, who was travelling on West Chester Pike out of Delaware County, when she was followed by a local Delaware County police officer out of his jurisdiction and into Chester County. Believing that the officer had violated the Municipal Police Jurisdiction Act, we filed a Motion requesting the Court to dismiss the case, with which the Commonwealth ultimately agreed when it withdrew the charges.
  • Represented an individual who was charged with Leaving the scene of an Accident that resulted in the death of a bicyclist. That offense was a felony which carried a 3 year mandatory state prison sentence that the Commonwealth had enforced throughout the representation. After many months of complex pre-trial hearings and extensive trial preparation, on the eve of trial we successfully finalized a County prison sentence plea to a mid-level misdemeanor offense.
  • Delaware County Man Hires New Attorney, Lamb McErlane Partner Daniel Bush for Charges in Willistown Fatal Accident Involving a Bicyclist
  • Represented a man who had been target shooting with his legally owned pistol and shotgun with his friend on his friend’s 22 acre property in southern Chester County, which is abutted to the rear by a 150 farm. Several hours into the target shooting, homeowners ½ mile away reported hearing bullets whizzing overhead, and reported that their homes had been struck by bullets several times. The man and his homeowner friend were both charged with felony offenses by the State Police. Despite the fact that the homeowner friend pleaded guilty, we took our case to trial, and after a 3 day trial, the man was found Not Guilty on all charges.
  • Represented a woman, mother of 3 young children, who was driving her vehicle with her husband and 3 children inside, when she accidentally drove off the roadway and hit a fire hydrant, dragging the fire hydrant down the roadway to her home. State Police later responded and charged her with numerous offenses, including Theft, DUI, Tampering with Evidence, and other related charges. After proceeding to trial, the woman was found Not Guilty on all charges.
  •  Represented a man at trial on a 3rd offense DUI, where all actions of the client were on video, including the client’s refusal to submit to chemical testing and statements regarding how much he had to drink and the fact that the chemical test would reveal marijuana in the client’s system. The trial concluded with a verdict of Not Guilty.
  • Represented a man accused of Unlawful Contact with a Minor and Indecent Assault of a 13 year old. After a week-long trial, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, and a Mistrial was declared. As a result, after lengthy post-trial negotiations, the Commonwealth significantly reduced its pre-trial plea offer, resulting in a highly favorable ultimate resolution for the client.
  • Represented a young man on Felony gun charges who was previously represented by different counsel. At the time of taking over the representation, the client had received a plea offer of
    2 ½ – 5 years in State Prison. After numerous months of preparing for trial, and on the eve of trial, the Commonwealth reduced its’ offer significantly, and the man pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor with a sentence of probation.
  • Represented a young man who was stopped for speeding. The officer thereafter searched his vehicle and found a loaded gun and more than a pound of marijuana. He was charged with Felony gun offenses and Possession of Drugs with Intent to Deliver. Prior to coming to us, the man was represented by different counsel, and had received a plea offer of 5-10 years in State Prison. After thorough review of the case, we filed a motion with the Court seeking to suppress everything found as a result of the search of the vehicle. Recognizing the merits of that Motion, the Commonwealth withdrew all charges associated with the items seized as a result of the illegal search, and the man pleaded guilty only to the offense for which he was originally stopped, and was immediately released from prison.
  • Represented a man on Felony charges incurred as a result of items found on his home computer during the execution of a search warrant. After careful review of that warrant, convinced the Commonwealth of potentially problematic issues in the warrant. Instead of the original plea offer of 8 months in jail, the man pleaded guilty and received a probationary sentence.
  • Represented a college student charged with separate serious drug related and sexual assault offenses. Despite sentencing guideline ranges that included a lengthy state prison sentence, negotiated a low level county jail sentence.
  • Represented a woman charged with a 3rd Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Highest Tier, which carries a mandatory minimum of 12 months in prison. After litigating several pre-trial issues, raising several more with the Court, and extensively preparing for trial, was able to successfully negotiate a 10 day sentence just prior to the start of trial.
  • Ex-West Brandywine Official Represented by Lamb McErlane PC Defense Attorney Daniel Bush gets Probation for Allegedly Mishandling Hazardous Waste – Read More
  • Man Represented by Defense Attorney Daniel Bush Charged with Ebay Scheme to Defraud Receives No Jail Time – Read More.
  • Defense Attorney Daniel R. Bush Represented a Chester County Woman for Killing a Couple in DUI Crash – Read More
  • Daniel Bush  represented a young man involved in an automobile fatality in which the driver of the other vehicle was killed. The client’s blood alcohol level was over the legal limit and the accident was judged by the police to be his fault, as his vehicle crossed the center line and struck two separate vehicles, killing the driver of one. Despite the facts, the man pleaded guilty only to a Driving Under the Influence / DUI and Careless Driving, and served two weeks in jail.

See tab above for more recent cases. 

PODCAST / RADIO BROADCAST:

  • In this podcast, ‘Not Guilty’, by Lamb McErlane Criminal Defense attorneys Dan Bush & Steve Jarmon. Dan and Steve discuss what was on the line for their clients, obstacles to victory and how they ultimately got to Not Guilty verdicts.

  • Listen to attorneys Dan Bush & Steve Jarmon discussing ‘Celebrity Legal Cases’.
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    • Legal Lessons from the Breonna Taylor Case: An Attorney’s View, podcast featuring attorneys Dan Bush & Steve Jarmon:

     

    In the News

    Articles Posted

    • Criminal Defense Attorney Daniel Bush represented a 28 year old man charged with groping a minor, which included several Megan’s Law offenses. Despite what the Commonwealth believed was “overwhelming” evidence of guilty of this sexual offense, we proceeded to a 5 day trial, which ended in a hung jury. After preparing to re-try the case, the Commonwealth tendered a plea offer to a low level misdemeanor, without any Megan’s Law consequences, and which included only probation.
    • Represented a woman charged with a history of several previous DUIs, who was travelling on West Chester Pike out of Delaware County, when she was followed by a local Delaware County police officer out of his jurisdiction and into Chester County. Believing that the officer had violated the Municipal Police Jurisdiction Act, we filed a Motion requesting the Court to dismiss the case, with which the Commonwealth ultimately agreed when it withdrew the charges.
    • Represented an individual who was charged with Leaving the scene of an Accident that resulted in the death of a bicyclist. That offense was a felony which carried a 3 year mandatory state prison sentence that the Commonwealth had enforced throughout the representation. After many months of complex pre-trial hearings and extensive trial preparation, on the eve of trial we successfully finalized a County prison sentence plea to a mid-level misdemeanor offense.
    • Represented a man who had been target shooting with his legally owned pistol and shotgun with his friend on his friend’s 22 acre property in southern Chester County, which is abutted to the rear by a 150 farm. Several hours into the target shooting, homeowners ½ mile away reported hearing bullets whizzing overhead, and reported that their homes had been struck by bullets several times. The man and his homeowner friend were both charged with felony offenses by the State Police. Despite the fact that the homeowner friend pleaded guilty, we took our case to trial, and after a 3 day trial, the man was found Not Guilty on all charges.
    • Represented a woman, mother of 3 young children, who was driving her vehicle with her husband and 3 children inside, when she accidentally drove off the roadway and hit a fire hydrant, dragging the fire hydrant down the roadway to her home. State Police later responded and charged her with numerous offenses, including Theft, DUI, Tampering with Evidence, and other related charges. After proceeding to trial, the woman was found Not Guilty on all charges.
    • Represented a young man on Felony gun charges who was previously represented by different counsel. At the time of taking over the representation, the client had received a plea offer of 2 ½ – 5 years in State Prison. After numerous months of preparing for trial, and on the eve of trial, the Commonwealth reduced its’ offer significantly, and the man pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor with a sentence of probation.
    • Represented a young man who was stopped for speeding. The officer thereafter searched his vehicle and found a loaded gun and more than a pound of marijuana. He was charged with Felony gun offenses and Possession of Drugs with Intent to Deliver. Prior to coming to us, the man was represented by different counsel, and had received a plea offer of 5-10 years in State Prison. After thorough review of the case, we filed a motion with the Court seeking to suppress everything found as a result of the search of the vehicle. Recognizing the merits of that Motion, the Commonwealth withdrew all charges associated with the items seized as a result of the illegal search, and the man pleaded guilty only to the offense for which he was originally stopped, and was immediately released from prison.
    • Represented a man on Felony charges incurred as a result of items found on his home computer during the execution of a search warrant. After careful review of that warrant, convinced the Commonwealth of potentially problematic issues in the warrant. Instead of the original plea offer of 8 months in jail, the man pleaded guilty and received a probationary sentence.
    • Criminal Defense Attorney Daniel (Dan) Bush represented a woman charged with a 3rd Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Highest Tier, which carries a mandatory minimum of 12 months in prison. After litigating several pre-trial issues, raising several more with the Court, and extensively preparing for trial, was able to successfully negotiate a 10 day sentence just prior to the start of trial.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented a young man involved in an automobile fatality in which the driver of the other vehicle was killed. The client’s blood alcohol level was over the legal limit and the accident was judged by the police to be his fault, as his vehicle crossed the center line and struck two separate vehicles, killing the driver of one. Despite the facts, the man pleaded guilty only to a Driving Under the Influence / DUI and Careless Driving, and served two weeks in jail.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented a former West Brandywine supervisor and president of a Chester County environmental analysis company who was accused of mishandling and incorrectly storing hazardous waste. He was ordered to spend two months on house arrest as part of his sentence for improper handling of hazardous waste at his company’s facilities in Thorndale, PA. He specifically denied any illegal dumping of waste and therefore adamantly fought those charges.   Our client was spared any prison time despite the typical sentencing guidelines in the case calling for a minimum sentence of between six and fourteen months in prison. Click here to read the article on line in the Daily Local News.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented a Chester County woman charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence for the deaths of 2 individuals.  It was alleged the woman was driving in excess of 90mph. She was sentenced to 6½ to 13 years in state prison on dual counts homicide by vehicle while Driving Under the Influence / DUI.  Click here for the Daily Local News article.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented a 19 year old young man involved in a car accident in which the young man’s vehicle had crossed the center line and struck an on oncoming vehicle, resulting in a fatality. Shortly after accident, the young man’s blood alcohol level was over the legal limit.  Despite those facts, successfully negotiated a plea to only a DUI, rather than much more severe charges. The young man served 2 weeks in jail on the DUI.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented a Coatesville man charged with Possession of a significant amount of cocaine with the intent to deliver it for sale. After filing a Motion with the Court alleging that the police had stopped and searched the man illegally, the Court agreed and suppressed the illegal stop and threw out the illegally seized evidence as “fruit of the poisonous tree”. All charges were thereafter withdrawn against the man.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented a 53 year old man alleged to have raped a 19 year old. He was charged with Rape, Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse, Aggravated Indecent Assault and related crimes. The evidence against the man included 2 separate secretly recorded conversations between the man and the complaining person, and an hour long taped “confession”. After a 6 day jury trial, the man was found Not Guilty of all charges.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented a Chester County woman charged with DUI and possession of drugs. Despite the Commonwealth’s belief in the strength of its driving under the influence case, was able to successfully return a verdict of Not Guilty on the DUI charge, which is in the process of being expunged.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented a man charged with driving under the influence of drugs after driving recklessly and being followed by a fellow driver who had called 911 and reported the man’s driving. After successfully positioning the case through pre-trial proceedings, the Commonwealth dropped the DUI charge on the eve of trial and the man pleaded guilty to a traffic ticket with a $25 fine and no points on his license. The DUI charge is in the process of being expunged.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented an Arizona woman in Montgomery County originally charged with numerous felonies stemming from using a fraudulently obtained Power of Attorney from her elderly uncle to steal over $350,000 from him. After months and months of pre-trial filings and hearings, the client pleaded guilty to 2 low level misdemeanors and received a sentence of 6 months probation on each count.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented a former local school district athletic director charged after an extremely long and involved grand jury investigation with in excess of 90 counts of Theft of School District Funds and related offenses. After lengthy negotiations with the Commonwealth, the client pleaded guilty to one count of theft and one ethics violation, and less than half the restitution being sought. Despite the Commonwealth seeking a lengthy state prison term, the client received two months in County prison.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented a Chester County police detective charged with numerous theft related offenses over a 5 year period valued in excess of $60,000, including stealing cash from the police evidence room. In a highly publicized case in which the District Attorney’s office had requested 10-20 years in state prison, the client was sentenced to 11 ½ -23 months in County jail, and was made eligible by the sentencing judge for work release after 3 months.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented an individual charged with a complex scheme to embezzle over $100,000 from his employer over the course of numerous years. Client was charged with 200 separate counts of theft related offenses, based upon the allegation that he created a fictitious company and diverted business from his own employer to the fictitious company so that he could profit from the diverted business. After having approximately half of the charges dismissed through pre-trial filings, we proceeded to a lengthy 7 day jury trial that included the introduction of over 800 trial exhibits. Ultimately, the client was found Not Guilty of all 102 counts he faced at trial.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented a man falsely charged with robbing a Rite Aid pharmacy with a gun. The “evidence” against him included a surveillance video which the police and prosecutor believed showed the man robbing the pharmacy. There was also “eyewitness” identification by 3 witnesses in the Rite Aid who each claimed to have picked out the man from a photo lineup. Each of the 3 witnesses then was brought to the police station after the man was arrested and identified the man to the police as being the person who robbed the Rite Aid. After we filed pre-trial motions to throw out the identifications, and 4 days of hearings arguing the motions, the Court suppressed several of the identifications as being illegally obtained. After 13 months of preparing a defense for trial, the District Attorney’s office finally withdrew all charges against the man prior to trial. The man is in the process of expunging all of these charges from his record, as well as pursuing all other available avenues of recourse.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented an individual accused of driving the wrong way on Route 202 and colliding head on with another vehicle, killing both occupants of that vehicle. The Commonwealth alleged that the client had been smoking marijuana “all day”, and drinking alcohol, prior to the accident. In addition to other charges, client was charged with 2 counts of Homicide by Vehicle while DUI, each of which carried a separate mandatory 3 year jail term, which the law required upon conviction to be served consecutively. After a 6 day jury trial, the client was found Not Guilty of the most serious charges of Homicide by Vehicle while DUI, and was found guilty only of the lesser offenses of the case.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented a prominent local politician accused of threatening to kill an individual with a gun. After a jury trial, the client was found Not Guilty of all charges. Upon a findings of Not Guilty, and over the Objection of the Attorney General’s Office which prosecuted the case, the Court permitted the client’s record to justifiably be wiped clean, and his weapon be returned to him.
    • Attorney Dan Bush represented two brothers charged with the felony offense of shooting a weapon into the trailer of another individual in East Brandywine Township, as well as other misdemeanor charges associated with the same act. During a four-day jury trial, the trial judge granted our motion to dismiss the felony charge and one of the misdemeanor charges for lack of evidence on both clients. Only the remaining misdemeanor charges went to the jury. Despite the length of the trial, the jury returned Not Guilty verdicts for both clients on all charges in approximately 45 minutes. We since have successfully had all weapons rightfully returned to our clients, and more importantly had these offenses expunged from their records.
    • Defense Attorney Dan Bush represented a college student whose tale began with an arrest for public indecency after he was found nude outside in a residential development. A search of his car revealed what the police believed were chemicals designed for some illicit purpose (most likely the manufacture of drugs). The police impounded the car, and later charged the individual with Burglary and related offenses for physically breaking into the State Police impound lot located adjacent to their barracks by cutting the surrounding fence, retrieving the chemicals from the trunk, and disposing of them. A subsequent mental health evaluation identified that the young man was suffering from a mental illness at the time of these events. Despite the argument of the Commonwealth seeking a significant jail sentence, the young man received probation.
    What is a Preliminary Hearing?

    What is a Preliminary Hearing?

    Understanding the First Major Event in a Criminal Case

    ‘What is a preliminary hearing?”  The simple answer is that a Preliminary Hearing is the first major event in a criminal case.

    The purpose of the preliminary hearing is for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to show that there exists sufficient evidence to hold the case over for the Court of Common Pleas.  Specifically, the Commonwealth needs to show a prima facie case – or that it is “more likely than not” that a crime was committed, and that the charged individual is the one who committed that crime(s).  This is a very low burden for the Commonwealth to meet, and is designed to safeguard an individual from being wrongfully accused.

    While the standard for the Commonwealth is low, at the Preliminary Hearing the Commonwealth must present witnesses to prove its prima faciecase.  This gives the defense its first opportunity to cross examine the Commonwealth witnesses, and its first glimpse at the prosecution’s case.

    Oftentimes, the events that occur at the Preliminary Hearing ­ shape and define the direction in which the case will proceed, and errors or misjudgments at that level critically handicap the ability to present a defense at later stages in the process. As the first major event in a criminal case it is extremely important to have quality representation at the Preliminary Hearing to best protect your interests and guide you through the process.

    For more information contact Daniel R. Bush, 610.701.3266,  dbush@lambmcerlane.com

    What is ARD?

    What is ARD?

    Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition, or ARD, is a program administered by the District Attorney’s Office in the county in which criminal charges are filed.  The purpose of ARD is to divert a person’s charges from the normal criminal system, allowing the individual the opportunity to complete certain conditions (probation, evaluations and community service), ultimately making that individual eligible to have his or her record expunged.

    ARD is most often available for first time, non-violent offenses, particularly DUIs (driving under the influence). In the case of DUI, completion of the program requires a CRN (court reporting network) evaluation and mandatory highway safety classes. For higher blood alcohol levels (.16 of above), those who refused blood/breath/urine testing, or those with prior DUIs, an additional, more comprehensive drug and alcohol evaluation will be required in addition to counseling. Certain counties also include mandatory community service as a condition of the program.

    While acceptance onto ARD is wholly discretionary with the District Attorney’s office, certain prior offenses will preclude admission onto ARD, as will currently being charged with certain offenses.  Prior DUIs within the past 10 years from the date of the most recent arrest will prohibit admission, as will the presence of a person under the age of 14 in the offender’s car.  An accident which resulted in serious bodily injury to another person will also preclude an individual from being admitted onto ARD.

    Admission onto ARD can often have serious consequences to other facets of a person’s life, such as professional licensing, car insurance rates, admission to post-secondary educational institutions and driver’s license suspensions. Experienced counsel should be consulted prior to applying for the ARD program.

    For more information contact Criminal Attorney Daniel R. Bush, 610.701.3266, dbush@lambmcerlane.com

    Expunging Criminal Records

    Expunging Criminal Records

    Pennsylvania law allows full expungement of criminal records in certain cases, and partial expungement in other. Expungement of a criminal record wipes clean all traces of that record, except for certain limited uses. The questions that need to be answered are “how and at what stage was the case resolved?”

    With the exception of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania has two main levels of courts in a criminal case: 1) District Justice Court and 2) the Court of Common Pleas. At the District Justice Court level, the District Justice has the duty to determine whether enough evidence has been presented to move the case forward to the Court of Common Pleas. At the Court of Common Pleas level, most cases are resolved through either a plea negotiation or a trial. If criminal charges are totally withdrawn at any point in the process, those charges can be expunged. If charges are partially withdrawn at the District Justice level, (e.g., some charges are withdrawn and a guilty plea is entered to others), the charges that are withdrawn can usually be expunged.

    The charges at the District Justice Court to which the individual pled guilty may be expunged after the passage of five years if the individual remains free from criminal contact during that period of time.If charges are not withdrawn until the case reaches the Common Pleas level as part of a plea negotiation, the court will use a balancing test to determine whether to expunge the charges from the individual’s record. This latter case often poses significant hurdles to expungement.

    Successful completion of Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition, or ARD, is a program administered by the District Attorney’s Office in the county in which criminal charges are filed.  The purpose of ARD is to divert a person’s charges from the normal criminal system, allowing the individual the opportunity to complete certain conditions (probation, evaluations and community service), ultimately making that individual eligible to have his or her record expunged also may entitle an individual to have his or her record expunged.

    One should never simply assume that his or her record has been expunged. While each Pennsylvania county operates differently, expungement most often requires a person to actively petition the courts to sign an expungement order, which then must be distributed to the numerous law enforcement agencies that maintain a record of the arrest.

    Expungement is a time-consuming process that requires the assistance of a competent attorney. However, when done properly, successful completion of the process is well worth the effort.

    For more information contact Criminal Attorney Daniel R. Bush, 610.701.3266, dbush@lambmcerlane.com

    New Law in PA: Certain Convictions Can Now Be Sealed

    New Law in PA: Certain Convictions Can Now Be Sealed

    On February 16, 2016, Governor Tom Wolf changed the way the public can learn of or gain access to certain prior convictions in Pennsylvania. The new law permits a person to request a Court to seal records of certain past conviction so that only members of law enforcement and state licensing agencies may have access to those records.

    Prior to the signing of this Senate Bill, only under extremely rare circumstances could a conviction for anything over a summary level offense be sealed by a Court. However, under the new law, PA convictions for most lower level offenses (misdemeanors or the 2nd or 3rd degree, or ungraded offenses which have a maximum imprisonment of two years) may be sealed by the Court after a period of 10 years from the date of conviction or release from prison or completion of probation/parole, whichever is later.

    Certain lower level offenses are specifically excluded from the new law, including but not limited to most simple assaults, retaliation against a witness, Megan’s Law offenses, and 4 or more offenses punishable by 1 or more years in prison.

    Law enforcement agencies and state licensing agencies will still have access to the otherwise sealed convictions. However, as a practical matter, no other agencies will be permitted to access such conviction, and no person who has had a past conviction sealed shall be required to disclose the sealed conviction. Therefore, a person who has had a prior conviction sealed may legally and safely state to employers, potential employers, financial institutions, housing agencies, etc. that he/she has never been conviction of the sealed offense.

    The new law takes effect in 270 days from February 16, 2016.