One Crime that is charged in the Realm of Criminal Defense is the crime of Loitering and prowling at night time. This crime can be found in the Pennsylvania crimes code under Title 18 section 5506. The crime is graded as a misdemeanor of the third degree and is therefore punishable by a maximum of 1 year in state prison and a $2,000 fine. Child Endangerment This crime is typically not charged on its own and is frequently accompanied by the criminal charges of burglary and/or criminal trespass. Additionally, the elements of the crime are very vague and give the police a great deal of latitude in deciding whether an accused has committed the crime of Loitering and Prowling at nighttime and should be charged with this crime. Please strongly consider contacting an experienced Chester County Criminal Lawyer if you have been charged with the crime of Loitering and Prowling at night time. Chances are you will have several defenses.
When it comes to Criminal Defense, it is the defense attorney’s job to assess if you have defenses to the crime of Loitering and Prowling at night time. The best way to do this is to examine what criminal elements the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt in order to win in court. Double Jeopardy First, the government must prove that the accused was outside during the night time. Second, the government must prove that while the defendant was outside at night he was maliciously loitering or prowling around someone’s home. Obviously, given the language of the statute, the entire case generally comes down to whether or not the government can prove that the accused was acting maliciously. Generally, in order to be successful at this, the government must prove that the defendant was up to no good. He was either dealing drugs or trying to figure out how to break into someone’s house.
