In April of 2023, an Allegheny County man who acted in justifiable self-defense was charged with Aggravated Assault and Simple Assault. He trusted Attorney Dave Zuckerman of the Zuckerman Law Firm to defend him in court, litigating a Non-Jury Trial in February of 2024.

Evidence at trial established that the alleged victim was the physical aggressor and attacked the client. In response, the client struggled to get off of his back, ultimately punching the victim in the face. Medical records revealed that the alleged victim sustained serious internal facial injuries. The alleged victim could not remember the physical altercation and the client told police officers he punched the victim in self-defense.

The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office approved the filing of Aggravated Assault and Simple Assault charges against the client, claiming that his use of force in self-defense was disproportionate. The charges carried a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in jail. If sentenced in the standard range of sentencing guidelines, the client faced a minimum sentence ranging from 3 1/2 to 5 years. No plea offer was made on the case.

Attorney Zuckerman prepared diligently for trial by interviewing and presenting fact and character witness testimony. Further, the defense offered records to establish that the alleged victim was highly intoxicated and had multiple prior convictions for violent crimes. At the conclusion of a 1-day non-jury trial, the client was found not guilty of all charges.

If you have been in any type of physical altercation, DO NOT give a statement to law enforcement. Hire an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to protect your rights and start building your defense.

In May of 2017, a ZLF client found himself charged with Carrying a Firearm Without a License when a firearm was located under the front passenger seat of his vehicle. Our client was giving a ride to a neighbor's friend when he failed to use a turn signal. A traffic stop was conducted, and without any prior knowledge that the passenger was armed, the passenger stuffed a gun under the front passenger seat of the vehicle. Both men blamed one another for the gun, and as a result, the police charged them both with Carrying a Firearm Without a License based upon a theory of joint constructive possession. To make matters worse, the client was held in jail on a probation detainer for a non-violent offense pending the resolution of the case.

Attorney Zuckerman conducted research on the passenger's background, discovering that he had prior firearms and violent crimes violations. Thereafter, he took this information to the District Attorney's Office, and after a fair review of the case file, the DA's office agreed to dismiss all gun possession charges at the preliminary hearing. On the other hand, the front seat passenger is properly facing trial for the firearms offenses.

The client's case resolved with a guilty plea to a Driving on a Suspended License violation for 60-days of house arrest. One week after the gun charges were dropped, the detainer was lifted and the client returned to work to support his girlfriend and her children.

This client was 100% innocent, and is grateful to the DA's office for their diligence in comprehensively reviewing the facts before making the right decision to only prosecute the responsible party.

Client Acquitted of Felony Aggravated Assault Charges

Felony Gun Charges Dismissed and Probation Detainer Lifted for Working Man