what will my punishment be

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what will my punishment be

Im being charged with welfare fraud third degree felony. no prior record at all.

Asked on June 22, 2009 under Criminal Law, Pennsylvania

Answers:

M.S., Member, Connecticut Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 14 years ago | Contributor

Regardless of what the maximum potential sentece for felony welfare fraud in the third degree is in Pennyslvania, it is impossible to determine what your "punishment" will be without knowing more about the facts of your case, i.e, the strength of the state's evidence and the merits of any potential defenses that you may have.  Remember, in any criminal case the burden is on the state/prosecution to prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the defendant is guilty.  What this means, in a practical sense, is that the potential "punishement" relies heavily on the strength (or lack thereof) of the state's evidence and/or any potential defenses.  Thus, if the state's evidence is weak and/or the defendant has strong potential defenses, the likelihood that the case will be resolved favorably (i.e. with little or no punishment) increases.  To the contrary, if the state's evidence is strong and/or no defenses exist, the likelihood of receiving a harsher "punishment" increases.  Moreover, a defendant who takes a plea generally receives a lighter "punishment" when compared to the defendant who is convicted at trial.  Thus, I strongly suggest that you consult with and/or retain a criminal defense attorney (or apply for a public defender) to evaluate the strength of the state's evidence as well as the merits of any possible defenses that may be available to you.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

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