Violent Crimes such as Unlawful Restraint can have a very serious effect on an accused’s future. The crime of Unlawful Restraint is fully explained in section 2902 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code. In order to be found guilty of this crime, the government must prove the following criminal elements beyond a reasonable doubt: First, that the accused restrained another person without any legal basis under circumstances which could expose the victim to serious bodily injury. Assault crimes Under the crimes code serious bodily injury is generally something like a broken arm or a serious wound. So in order for a person to be found guilty of this section of Unlawful Restraint, generally the government has to show that the victim is being held somewhere unsafe (a cooler) or being held there through the use of a deadly weapon like a gun or a knife. If the accused is convicted for this type of Unlawful Restraint then he is facing a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a possible $10,000 fine.
Possession of a gun on school propertyViolent Crimes such as Unlawful Restraint can also be brought and are generally more serious when the person being restrained is a minor (someone under 18 years of age) and being held under circumstances where they could suffer serious bodily injury. If the victim is a minor the crime is a felony of the second degree and punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison. The crime is not at all different if the accused is the parent of the victim. Under those circumstances the crime still a felony of the second degree so long as the victim is exposed to serious bodily injury while being held. Make sure to consult with an experienced Chester County Criminal Lawyer if you are being investigated for or have been charged with committing this crime.
