CHILD ABUSE LAWYERS IN WILKES-BARRE, PA

Thank you for visiting Lampman Law’s website. We are located on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania and we defend child abuse charges throughout northeastern and central Pennsylvania.

At Lampman Law, we believe in the presumption of innocence and know the importance of a full and zealous defense. If you have been charged with child abuse in Pennsylvania, or expect that you might be charged, you need to immediately speak with an experienced criminal defense lawyer that has courage to fight for you and the experience and skills to help you move your life forward.

Lampman Law Defends the Rights of the Wrongfully Accused

From the time Lampman Law opened we have focused on being criminal defense trial lawyers and have been in Pennsylvania criminal courts daily representing good people that have been charged with serious violations of Pennsylvania’s crimes code. We regularly defend clients accused of child abuse in Pennsylvania.

Child Abuse Allegations in Pennsylvania

Children are obviously special and a protected class. When a child is victimized by an adult in Pennsylvania, the penalties are appropriately more punitive. Specifically, the grading and offense gravity scores for child assault offenses increase. For example, the grading of simple assault increases to a misdemeanor of the first degree if the victim is under age 12. Aggravated assault resulting in bodily injury to a child less than 6 is a felony of the second degree. If serious bodily injury to a child less than 13 is charged, the grading is a felony of the first degree.

In addition to carrying prolonged terms of incarceration, intensive parole supervision, and expensive fines, these crimes also retain a damning social stigma. Indeed, child abuse accusations/charges will turn the accused’s life upside down because the punishment starts the moment that they are reported. These offenses are also different because they leave little room for negotiation and often require a jury trial to decide the outcome. While a favorable resolution of the case may not undo the harm of caused by the allegation, or the trauma of having an injured child, it is the starting point to repairing the wrongfully accused reputation and life.

In general, defending a child abuse case is difficult because children are inherently sympathetic, so jurors naturally want to protect them and punish people who hurt kids. Further, most people want to believe children’s social service workers and medical workers when they allege that someone intentionally hurt a child. Accordingly, the stakes are extremely high, and it is essential to present a clear case that shows that the accused is not responsible for intentionally causing the child’s injuries.

How we Defend Child Abuse Charges in Pennsylvania Trial Courts

While defending a child abuse case is never easy; we are up to the task. While there are numerous elements to an excellent legal defense, preparation must be the foundation.

At Lampman Law, we prepare to attack and are ready to win. We ready ourselves for court and build our defense strategies by performing a full investigation of the allegation, CYS reports, police investigation, and relevant witnesses. We do this for every case we handle. In short, we insist on reviewing all the evidence before concluding on the strength or weakness of a case and prior to offering our advice concerning a case’s resolution.​

While preparation is at the core of all our defenses, it alone, is not enough to impact the outcome of cases. Therefore, we attack child abuse charges with the rules of criminal procedure, the rules of evidence, experience, expert testimony, forensic exams, and most importantly, cross-examination. Cross-examination is "beyond any doubt the greatest legal engine ever invented for the discovery of truth.” In our system it is the principal means of undermining the credibility of a witness whose testimony is false or inaccurate. A carefully planned and skillfully delivered cross-examination is the best available tool to achieve this goal. ​

We also realize that while an accused may always have a constitutional right to trial, going to trial may not be the right decision in their case. Accordingly, we always offer direct and honest advice to our clients. If, after reviewing all the evidence, we determine that a case is unlikely to succeed we timely advise our clients of our opinion and fully explain our reasoning.    

PA Child Abuse Attorneys Ready to Fight for You

If you or a loved one is facing child abuse charges in Pennsylvania, please call us at 570-371-3737 to speak with an experienced child abuse defense lawyer that is ready to fight for you. We offer free phone or office consultations. Once we learn about you and the pending case, we will develop a plan and get ready to fight. Let’s move forward.

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