Dual-track experience.
Your child may face criminal court and a campus disciplinary hearing at the same time. Both require careful, coordinated handling by an attorney familiar with each system.
You did not expect this phone call, and you should not have to navigate it without guidance.
This page is written directly for you, the parent trying to understand what comes next.
Raising a teenager or young adult through college is difficult enough without a phone call telling you your child has been arrested or charged with a university conduct violation. Social pressures, peer influence, and the simple inexperience of youth can put good kids in serious legal trouble.
That does not make you a bad parent, and it does not make your child a bad person.
What it does mean is that you need someone in your corner who understands both the criminal courts and the university disciplinary process. As a student misconduct attorney and college student defense attorney serving Penn State families and students throughout Central Pennsylvania, I have sat across from hundreds of parents asking the same questions you are asking right now. You are not alone in this, and your child’s future is not already decided.
University administrators and local police departments in State College, Bellefonte, Altoona, Lewistown, and Lock Haven have grown less patient with young adults over the years. A single mistake, whether it is a possession charge, an assault allegation, or a Title IX complaint, can carry consequences that follow your child for life if it is not handled correctly from the start.
Choosing the right attorney for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make during this crisis. Not every criminal defense attorney understands how university disciplinary boards operate, and not every criminal defense lawyer treats a college student’s case with the urgency it deserves.
Here is what matters most as you evaluate your options:
With over 27 years of experience as a criminal trial lawyer and felony defense attorney, I have built my practice around direct communication and realistic guidance. When your child’s case involves criminal charges, from theft crimes and drug possession to simple assault, aggravated assault, or sexual assault allegations, I walk you and your child through every stage of the process so nothing feels like a surprise.
I understand that college students are sometimes hesitant to have their parents fully involved in their case, and I respect that boundary when it comes up. Your child will still receive the same dedicated representation, and I will keep you informed within whatever limits your child sets. My goal is always the same: protect your child’s record, their education, and their future.
When underlying issues like alcohol or substance abuse are part of the picture, I connect families with appropriate evaluations and treatment programs. Completion of these programs can often be used as leverage in negotiations with prosecutors or university boards, sometimes resulting in reduced penalties or dismissed charges.
Parents throughout State College, Bellefonte, Altoona, Lewistown, and Lock Haven turn to this firm because they need more than a name on a business card. They need an experienced criminal defense attorney who treats their child’s case like it matters, because it does.
Parents calling about a student disciplinary hearing or criminal charge tend to ask similar questions. Here are answers to the ones I hear most often.
Should I hire a separate attorney for the university hearing and the criminal case?
What if my child does not want me involved in their case?
Can a criminal charge really affect my child's financial aid or housing?
What does an initial consultation involve, and is there a cost?
You do not have to figure this out on your own, and neither does your child. Call today for a free, confidential consultation and get clear answers about the road ahead.
