Appeal Spares IUP Student From A Criminal Mischief Conviction

A full-time student at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania recently learned that it’s important to have appropriate legal representation no matter the accusations made against you. After being charged with criminal mischief for allegedly scratching a car in a parking lot, the young man naively thought the charge was not very serious and failed to appear in court. However, when he became aware of the potential impact a criminal mischief conviction could have on his background and future employment opportunities after graduation, he contacted our criminal defense attorneys to pursue his available options.

Attorney Samir Sarna consulted with his client and began preparing a summary appeal to the criminal mischief offense. The assigned prosecutor was unwilling to negotiate to have the charge amended or reduced, but attorney Sarna was undeterred and argued that the prosecution could not substantiate the charge because there was no witness to corroborate that his client actually damaged the car in question. The Judge agreed with this assertion and dismissed the citation in its entirety. The young man was pleased knowing that although his case could have ended with a looming conviction, choosing to have a capable legal advocate kept his record unblemished.

The outcome of an individual case depends on a variety of factors unique to that case. Case results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any similar or future case.