One thing we certainly know from a deep well of personal experience and strong legal advocacy on behalf of students is that our representation often has both immediate and longer-term effects.
Understandably, many students at PSU and other area colleges and universities are most intimately concerned with the “what’s next” aspects of the criminal law process when they are arrested or criminally charged with an unlawful offense. They worry about a fine they might have to pay, a period of incarceration that a court might impose and other potential downsides related with a criminal conviction.
And there is, of course, an additional — and weighty — concern: the repercussions that can flow in the future from a criminal record.
But there is also this, which is something that sometimes does not immediately register with a student embroiled in a criminal legal matter: School officials might also take disciplinary action following a criminal law complaint or report. And that outcome can obviously yield a starkly negative effect for a young person who has high hopes and aspirations for the future.
At PSU, the school’s Office of Student Conduct sometimes gets formally involved when misconduct issues arise with a student. In a worst-case scenario, officials’ evaluation of a matter can bring harsh probationary conditions or even permanent expulsion.
That is of course a very serious thing, making it very important for targeted students and their families to note a fundamentally important point, namely this: They don’t have to suffer the process or an ultimate disciplinary determination silently or without recourse to strong advocacy.
That is, PSU students have a right to petition for a formal hearing in the event that school officials take punitive actions against them. And they can come to that hearing with a proven attorney who knows the process intimately well and can advocate aggressively on their behalf to mitigate adverse consequences to the fullest extent possible.
The attorneys at Decker Bradburn consistently play such a role, and can additionally provide diligent legal representation against any criminal charges that have been filed.
The future is a precious thing for young and enterprising people working hard to improve themselves through university training. And it can be patently unfortunate and unfair when a single mistake they might make can bring heavily adverse and permanent consequences.
At Decker Bradburn, we routinely seek to ensure that such an outcome does not materialize.