Pennsylvania’s Passage of Senate Bill 100 Expands Definition of Crime of Violence, Reducing Possibility of Prerelease or Diversion
Governor Tom Corbett’s passage of a prison reform bill in Pennsylvania on June 5, 2012 was aimed at dealing with the problem of prison overcrowding and the ineffectiveness of incarceration for drug- or alcohol-addicted nonviolent offenders. However, portions of the reform bill are now being widely criticized for being converse to the law’s stated purpose. By expanding definition of violent crimes, the bill significantly reduces the pool of offenders eligible for diversion and reentry programs. Your Philadelphia violent crimes defense attorney can counsel you regarding a significant prison term for a crime of violence in Pennsylvania.
The passage of Senate Bill 100 expands the definition of “crime of violence” to include:
- Manslaughter of a law enforcement officer
- Assault on a law enforcement officer
- Murder in the third degree involving an unborn child
- Aggravated assault of an unborn child
- Use of weapons
- Use of weapons of mass destruction
- Terrorism
- Human trafficking
- Ecoterrorism
Defendants accused of such may no longer be eligible for the alternative sentencing or prerelease programs such as the state intermediary program (SIP) or the recidivism risk reduction incentive (RRRI) program.
If you have been charged with a violent crime, your Philadelphia violent crimes defense lawyer serves as your first line of defense. Many defendants who stand accused of violent crimes find it difficult to receive a fair trial when prosecuted in criminal courts. Witness testimony, mistaken identifications and other circumstantial evidence supporting allegations of abuse or assault can engage the sympathies of those deciding the defendant’s fate. Only a lawyer can properly defend you against the domestic violence, forcible rape, manslaughter, robbery, assault, gun crime or related felony charges.
For more information about the defense of violent crimes, contact the Law Offices of David Jay Glassman in Philadelphia.