Our office was retained to represent a college student with no criminal history accused of breaking into a fellow student's apartment. The client was charged with Criminal Trespass, a felony of the second degree, punishable by a maximum prison sentence of up to 10 years in jail. Along with jail time, this student faced a permanent criminal record and expulsion from the university.

This case posed significant challenges for the defense, as there was more than ample evidence to convict if the case went to trial. Our firm's representation of the client centered around damage control - showing the prosecution that this was a good person who deserved a second chance.

At the preliminary hearing, our firm successfully advocated on our client's behalf with the arresting officer and District Attorney, who agreed that based upon the circumstances, that prosecution of the felony charge was not necessary. The felony charge was dropped in return for the client's guilty plea to a summary disorderly conduct for fines and court costs only. Based upon this successful result, the client is eligible to pursue an expungement of the dismissed criminal trespass charge.