• posted: Jan. 17, 2022
• Matthew R. Zatko
• Criminal Defense
• concealed carry,  constitutional carry,  premit

On December 2, 2021, Governor Tom Wolf vetoed a bill that would have allowed any resident of Pennsylvania to carry a concealed firearm without undergoing a background check or obtaining Read More

• posted: Dec. 16, 2021
• Matthew R. Zatko
• Criminal Defense
• criminal defense,  law enforcement,  warrant

Learning you are wanted by law enforcement is an unwelcome discovery, but ignoring the warrant and hoping it just goes away is not a wise choice. Warrants never expire and Read More

• posted: Dec. 16, 2021
• Matthew R. Zatko
• Criminal Defense
• background check,  concealed carry,  point-of-purchase

Legislation now moving through the state House of Representatives and Senate would make it easier for qualified Pennsylvanians to carry concealed firearms. Under current law, individuals must go through a background Read More

• posted: Dec. 16, 2021
• Matthew R. Zatko
• Criminal Defense
• federal charges,  mandatory minimum sentences,  violent crime

In 2015, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that mandatory minimum sentences for most offenses, including those relating to firearms possession, are unconstitutional. However, a proposal by a freshman representative from Read More

• posted: Jan. 13, 2022
• Matthew R. Zatko
• Criminal Defense
• activist,  shooting

A recent case in Bedford County, Pennsylvania shows the effectiveness of a justification defense in a criminal assault prosecution. My firm won dismissal of the most serious charges faced by Read More

• posted: Dec. 16, 2021
• Matthew R. Zatko
• Criminal Defense
• automobile searches,  exigent circumstances,  search warrants

A recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision limits the power of police to search vehicles after pulling them over. Unless they have a warrant, officers must demonstrate both probable cause and Read More

• posted: Dec. 16, 2021
• Matthew R. Zatko
• Criminal Defense,  Drug Crimes
• legalization,  recreational marijuana,  senate bill 350

It’s been less than five years since Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill that legalized medical marijuana and just over two years since the first Pennsylvania dispensaries opened. In that Read More

• posted: Dec. 16, 2021
• Matthew R. Zatko
• Criminal Defense
• bill cosby,  prior bad acts

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is deciding whether five witnesses in Bill Cosby’s 2018 sexual assault trial should have been barred from testifying about “prior bad acts” that may have influenced Read More

• posted: Dec. 16, 2021
• Matthew R. Zatko
• Criminal Defense
• civil disobedience act,  civil disorder charge

Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia and other large cities around the country have revived a little-used criminal law from the 1960s civil rights era to charge protestors with obstructing law enforcement Read More

• posted: Dec. 16, 2021
• Matthew R. Zatko
• Criminal Defense
• castle doctrine,  stand your ground

One nightmare everyone dreads is being awakened by the sound of breaking glass or other unexpected noise coming from downstairs and encountering an intruder. In that scenario, what can you Read More