How Can a Criminal Conviction Affect Your Life?

Aside from the almost unimaginable death penalty, when most people think of the legal punishment for a criminal conviction, they think of prison. However, even when a person avoids serving time in prison for a criminal offense, there are still serious, long-lasting effects.

Various Consequences for a Criminal Conviction

In Pennsylvania, prison time, fines, and probation or parole are often just the beginning of the adverse effects following a criminal conviction.

Other “collateral consequences” can include:

• A criminal record publicly available on the internet
• Mandatory registration as a sex offender
• Lifelong difficulty finding employment
• Confiscation and forfeiture of your property by the government
• The need to pay restitution
• Loss of a professional license
• Loss of employment
• Loss of a pension
• Loss of financial aid eligibility for students
• Embarrassment for the accused and their family
• Loss of custody of a child
• Deportation or removal from the United States

Many of these penalties can be imposed even before you are convicted. Just ask a Philadelphia traffic court judge who was charged with misusing state money. He was removed from the traffic court bench without pay before he was given a trial or found guilty of any wrongdoing.

If you have been charged with a crime in Pennsylvania, contact criminal defense attorneys Jim Lloyd, Timothy Tarpey, or Michael Parkinson. We can answer the crucial question, "What consequences and penalties, from the court system and elsewhere, will likely happen if I'm convicted?"

Get In Touch With Our Philadelphia Defense Team

As former attorneys with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, we can identify your potential penalties and fight effectively to protect your rights. Our track record includes hundreds of cases that were dismissed or resulted in a not-guilty verdict.

If you or someone you know has questions regarding possible effects of a criminal conviction in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, or Delaware Counties, contact us for a free consultation.

Speak with an experienced Philadelphia criminal defense attorney at (215) 352-3432.