Terroristic Threats Charges Defense Attorneys in Kingston, PA, Assist Clients Accused of Making Threats in Luzerne County, Lackawanna County, Columbia County, and Throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania
Under Pennsylvania law, you could face criminal charges and, potentially, penalties as serious as jail time purely for speaking or writing threatening words. If you have been charged with the crime of making terroristic threats, this situation is serious. You need to retain knowledgeable Luzerne County terroristic threats lawyers as soon as possible to help you mitigate the impact of this criminal matter on your life before it’s too late.
Muckler Law, LLC, has extensive experience representing clients against all types of criminal charges, including assault and other violent crimes, across Northeastern Pennsylvania. For a free consultation, contact us today.
Terroristic Threats Charges in Luzerne County, PA
The statute of Pennsylvania law that establishes making terroristic threats a crime is 18 Pa. C.S.A.2706. If you have been charged with making terroristic threats in Luzerne County or elsewhere in Northeastern Pennsylvania, you should know that PA law takes these charges very seriously.
If you want to minimize consequences like a lengthy potential jail sentence, you need the assistance of experienced terroristic threats charges defense attorneys in Kingston, PA.
Areas Our Luzerne County Terroristic Threats Lawyers Serve
From our office in Kingston, Muckler Law, LLC, assists clients throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. We’re ready to assist you anywhere in Luzerne County and the surrounding areas, from Pittston to Nanticoke and Hazleton to Wilkes-Barre.
What Is a Terroristic Threat Charge Under Pennsylvania Law?
Bomb threats, gun threats, trash-talking in a bar fight or road rage incident, and any number of other communications could serve as the basis for a terrorist threats charge against you.
Here’s what you need to know about the circumstances that could get someone charged with terroristic threat offenses in Luzerne County, PA.
Terroristic Threat Definition
A threat, by definition, means the communication of an intention. Pennsylvania law clarifies that terroristic threats, as a criminal offense, may be made through any form of communication, including speaking in person, by phone, in writing, via email or other Internet-based channels, or by facsimile (fax).
Offenses that may constitute terroristic threats under PA law include:
- Communicating any threat of the intended commission of any violent crime with an “intent to terrorize” someone or to otherwise cause fear or panic
- Communicating a direct or indirect threat to cause the evacuation of a building, a public transportation facility, or a place of assembly
- Communicating a direct or indirect threat that causes serious public inconvenience in any other form
- Communicating a direct or indirect threat to cause terror or public inconvenience with a “reckless regard” for the risks of such actions
Importantly, the violation that (allegedly) occurs in a terroristic threats offense is the communication of a threat with the intent to create terror or panic.
You don’t have to go through with the threatened act to face charges of this nature. Even if you can provide evidence that proves that you didn’t have the ability to carry out the threat you are accused of making, it doesn’t stop you from potentially facing a terroristic threats charge in PA.
Terroristic Threat Examples
Examples of communications that could potentially serve as grounds for terroristic threat charges include:
- Bomb threats that cause schools to be evacuated
- Threats of shooting people at gatherings
- Verbal threats to kill or harm someone
- Loud, out-of-control verbal altercations in public places that require the environment to be closed off to the public
- Threatening phone calls or text messages
- Screaming “fire” or “bomb” in a public place with the intent of causing fear or panic
- Threats of harm made via social media
- Aiming a gun at someone
In some instances, the actions on which the prosecution has based its charge of terrorist threats may occur without provocation. More often, though, these alleged threats of violence or harm are made during stressful moments such as arguments, bar fights, and road rage incidents.
Our Luzerne County terroristic threats lawyers can help identify any mitigating factors and use these facts to create as strong a defense strategy as possible.
Is Terroristic Threat a Felony or a Misdemeanor in PA?
Both felonies and misdemeanors are criminal violations under Pennsylvania law, but a felony is a more serious offense than a misdemeanor.
Pennsylvania law generally classifies charges for terroristic threats as misdemeanors of the first degree. An exception occurs when the threat you are accused of making has diverted people occupying the building, public transportation facility, or place of assembly from their normal operations. In this instance, you may be facing a third-degree felony terroristic threat charge.
What Is the Penalty for Terroristic Threats in Luzerne County?
One of the most important distinctions between felony and misdemeanor charges for making terroristic threats is the severity of the sentences you could be facing.
A conviction on a first-degree misdemeanor terrorist threat charge may lead to penalties as serious as up to five years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.
For a terroristic threats felony charge, you could be facing up to seven years in prison, plus fines as high as $15,000.
If convicted of terroristic threat charges in PA, you may also be required to pay restitution for the cost of an evacuation you caused, including any costs of transportation, fire and police response services, emergency medical services, and emergency preparedness response services. Being ordered to pay restitution for these costs as an outcome of a criminal case doesn’t preclude you from also facing civil liability for damages, as Pennsylvania law preserves the right of alleged victims to seek private remedies for their losses.
To develop a strong defense against terroristic threat charges, you need professional legal guidance. Our terroristic threats charges defense attorneys in Kingston, PA, are prepared to assist you.
How to Beat a Terroristic Threat Charge in PA
When you’re facing years in prison and considerable financial hardships due to a terroristic threat charge, you need to be proactive. Your first step should be to hire a terroristic threats lawyer.
Defense for Terroristic Threat Charges
Potential defenses for charges of making terroristic threats in Pennsylvania include:
- Establishing that the prosecution’s case is built on lies, exaggerations, or otherwise false reports of the threat you allegedly made
- Arguing that transitory anger, or a temporary loss of temper, provoked the alleged threat and that this threat does not constitute any threat of future violence
- Showing that the alleged threat does not align with the legal definition of a terrorist threat in PA
- Showing that the case should be dismissed on legal grounds, such as the use of improper procedures, like unlawful search and seizure, to gather evidence against you
- Otherwise highlighting the weaknesses in the case against you
- Helping you explore all legal options, including the possibility of a plea bargain
Turn to Our Knowledgeable Luzerne County Terroristic Threats Lawyers for Help
To achieve success with any defense strategy, you are likely to need considerable knowledge of the law and strong skills in putting together robust and compelling arguments. Our Luzerne County terroristic threats lawyers are ready to assist you, with years of experience representing defendants in situations like yours.
The work we perform for you may include:
- Investigating the incident that gave rise to charges of terroristic threats
- Using the evidence in your favor to build a strong defense that fits your unique case
- Representing you in all legal proceedings
- Answering your questions at every stage and guiding you through every step of the criminal law process
- Advocating to preserve your legal rights and serve your interests throughout all proceedings
Contact Our Luzerne County Terroristic Threats Lawyers at Muckler Law, LLC, Today for a Free, Confidential Consultation
Being charged with terroristic threats is a stressful ordeal, but you don’t have to face it on your own. For help from a terroristic threat lawyer in Kingston, PA, contact Muckler Law, LLC, online or call 570-908-4069 today.
