For the Defense - Vol. 8, Issue 1 - 21

Second, be realistic about the amount of time and effort it will
Using the strategy above, people both in and
outside my office have had tremendous success with
Rule 600 motions. Oftentimes, just making it plain
to the Commonwealth that you intend to seriously
litigate this issue can get you results. It is only one
weapon in your arsenal, but because a win means
discharge, it is a potent weapon that should never
be overlooked.
NOTES:
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Reward yourself for each accomplishment along the way, no
matter how small. Then, when you need a reminder about how
far you have come, think back on those accomplishments and
rewards.
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Commonwealth v. Mills, 162 A.3d 323 (Pa. 2017).
2 U.S. ConSt. Amend. VI; PA. CONST. art. 1, § 9.
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Don't forget to give yourself a break. Stepping away can be
the path back to gaining perspective.
3 Commonwealth v. DeBlase, 665 A.2d 427, 431 (Pa. 1995).
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Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 530 (1972) (articulating the
constitutional test); Commonwealth v. Preston, 904 A.2d
1, 10 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2006) (the Barker test is an entirely
separate analysis from Rule 600 and therefore needs to be
raised separately).
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Pa.R.Crim.P. Rule 600(2)(a); see also Commonwealth
v. Kearse, 890 A.2d 388, 395 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2005) (no
" prejudice " need be shown to obtain Rule 600 dismissal).
While Rule 600 has a more definitive time period, the sole
focus of Rule 600 is on the action of the Commonwealth.
Thus, a constitutional argument should be forwarded
when a delay prejudices a defendant and that delay was
primarily caused by the courts.
6 Pa.R.Crim.P. Rule 600(D)(1).
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About the Author
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About the Author
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full notes section for this article.
Over the last 25 years, Amy Levenson
Jones has had three careers: lawyer,
business development professional,
and legal recruiter. Sometimes
these careers have overlapped and
sometimes they have been full pivots.
In terms of attorney experience,
early in her law career, Amy practiced
commercial civil litigation, primarily
representing financial institutions in
securities matters, in Washington, D.C.
and New York, NY. Since 2019, she has
been in her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA, where she joined her father's
55+ year law practice, which is focused entirely on criminal defense,
both federal and state, across Western Pennsylvania and throughout the
United States.
As a business development professional, Amy sold legal recruiting
services to law firms and legal departments of corporations. She also
sold outplacement services and executive coaching services.
and trial units. Katherine graduated Magna Cum
Laude from Loyola Law School, New Orleans
in 2007 and was on law review. She practiced
at Kaufman, Coren & Ress in Philadelphia out
of law school, and thereafter did work in the
intersection of horseracing law and §1983 for a
number of years before following her passion
for indigent criminal defense.
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Vol. 8, Issue 1 l For The Defense 21
Vol. 4, Issue 4 l For The Defense 9
As a recruiter, Amy's clients are law firms and legal departments of
corporations. They rely upon her to source legal talent for them to hire.
The candidates she works with rely on her to guide them through the
recruitment process and help them make decisions at each step along
the way.
Katherine Ernst is an
appellate attorney with the
Montgomery County Public
Defender's Office. She
handles appeals from all
units, juvenile to homicide,
and she also formulates
legal strategy for pre-trial
Amy has promoted herself and as a recruiter, a myriad of other
professionals, into more roles than she can count. The key ingredient
each time has been the ability to self-promote (whether for herself or
her candidate) so the listener can understand why they are the right fit
for the role and organization.
22/
2
Last, please feel free to contact me. I'd love to hear from you!
And it's good networking.
take to reach your goal. In the employment-seeking context, it
takes a long time to conduct an effective job search. The more
experienced you are, the longer the search takes. Don't expect
results overnight. Conducting a job search will become your new
full-time job, or your second full-time job if you're employed
while job searching. When building a book of business, it can
take years to lay the groundwork and see the results. Patience
is required.
Calling all Volunteers
to write a review of a book
that you have recently read
that would be of interest to
the other members of PACDL.
These books could be related to criminal
defense, fiction, non-fiction, self-help, etc.
If you are interested in
writing a book review,
please contact
pacdl@pacdl.org
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