Criminal Defense Attorneys in Reading, PA
Reading residents facing a DUI or misdemeanor charge in Berks County can feel the effects on job and family for years. A licensed Pennsylvania criminal defense attorney serving Reading will review your case at no cost.
- Free to use — fees quoted upfront, before you commit
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Free Reading criminal defense case review
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How we match your Reading criminal defense case
When you submit a Reading criminal defense matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.
Case type
A criminal defense matter needs someone who handles criminal defense work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.
Size and complexity
Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.
Jurisdiction and licensing
Your matter is decided under Pennsylvania law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Pennsylvania who regularly appears where your case would be heard.
Capacity and fit
Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.
Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.
DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.
Criminal Defense cases in Reading
More about legal help in Reading →Reading is the seat of Berks County, and cases begin with a preliminary arraignment and preliminary hearing before a magisterial district judge, then move to the Berks County Court of Common Pleas at the courthouse on North Sixth Street for arraignment, motions, and trial. City police, county detectives, and state police work the Route 222 and 422 corridors, so traffic stops, DUI arrests, and drug and firearm charges are common. Bail, license consequences, and diversion eligibility are all decided early. DearLegal matches you with a Pennsylvania-licensed attorney who handles criminal defense cases in Reading, with a free review.
- Charges filed in Reading are heard first by a Berks County magisterial district judge, then in the Berks County Court of Common Pleas.
- Highway and interstate corridor stops around Reading generate DUI, drug, and firearm cases from traffic enforcement.
- Some conduct in the Reading area is charged federally in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania instead of state court, with different rules and exposure.
Pennsylvania criminal defense rules at a glance
Reading cases run under Pennsylvania law. The full walkthrough — timeline, when to call, case types, and what a recovery can include — is on the Pennsylvania page.
Read the full Pennsylvania criminal defense guide →- Felony Statute of Limitations
No limit
No limit for murder, voluntary manslaughter, conspiracy to commit murder, soliciting murder; 12 years for major sex offenses against children; 5 years for most other felonies; 2 years for most misdemeanors (42 Pa.C.S. § 5552)
- Misdemeanor Statute of Limitations
2 years
2 years for most misdemeanors (42 Pa.C.S. § 5552(a))
- Sentencing Structure
Felony 1st/2nd/3rd
Felony 1st/2nd/3rd Degree and Misdemeanor 1st/2nd/3rd Degree under 18 Pa.C.S. § 106; Sentencing Guidelines under 204 Pa. Code § 303; mandatory minimums largely repealed by Alleyne / Wolfe (2013-2015) — but reinstated for some offenses
- Expungement / Record Sealing
10 years
Clean Slate Act (2018) and Clean Slate 3.0 (2023) — automatic sealing of many misdemeanors after 10 years and certain felonies; expungement under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 (broader for non-convictions); ARD completion = automatic expungement
- Bail / Pretrial Release
Bail
Bail under Pa.R.Crim.P. 524-528; constitutional right to bail with exceptions (Pa. Const. Art. I, § 14); ROR presumptive in many cases
- Typical attorney fee
Hourly
Hourly / Flat Fee
Exhibit D
How much do Reading criminal defense attorneys cost?
Typical fee schedule
Pennsylvania · Criminal Defense
Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.
Criminal Defense matters in Pennsylvania are usually a flat fee per filing — quoted before you commit, not billed by the hour.
Criminal defense attorneys in Pennsylvania work on hourly or flat-fee retainers — contingency fees are prohibited in criminal cases under Pa. R. Prof. Conduct 1.5(d) and ABA Model Rule 1.5(d). Misdemeanors and most felonies are flat-fee; complex cases use hourly billing. The Defender Association of Philadelphia, Allegheny County Public Defender, and county public defender offices represent indigent defendants — DAP is one of the largest and most respected PD offices in the country.
A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.
Exhibit F
Reading criminal defense questions, answered
Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Pennsylvania attorney will review it for free.
Criminal Defense attorneys by city in Pennsylvania
Same Pennsylvania rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.
