When the District Attorney’s Office files multiple charges for a single incident, it is a calculated move designed to cast a wide net and build immense pressure against a defendant. At SKA Law Group, our criminal defense attorneys, including William Burrows, understand exactly how to counter these aggressive prosecutorial tactics and protect your future in Delaware County courtrooms.

The Reason Why Prosecutors File Multiple Charges

Charging decisions are highly discretionary, meaning prosecutors can bring one charge—or ten—depending on how they want to position the case. This practice, often referred to as “charge stacking,” involves dividing a single criminal act into multiple distinct, and sometimes duplicative, statutory violations.

The ultimate goal for the prosecution is not necessarily to win on every single count, but to win on something. Each individual charge acts as another pathway to a conviction. Facing a towering list of charges significantly increases a defendant’s perceived risk and exposure at trial. Prosecutors use this approach to their advantage, using the threat of multiple convictions to make plea deals appear far more attractive than they normally would.

Double Jeopardy and Sentencing in Pennsylvania

If you are facing a stack of charges, it is crucial to understand your actual legal exposure. In Pennsylvania, courts do not typically stack sentences just because the charges themselves are stacked. Most of the time, sentencing centers around one or two primary offenses.

Lesser charges frequently merge for sentencing purposes or are ordered to run “concurrently” (at the same time). So, while ten charges might look intimidating on paper, your actual real-world exposure usually comes down to far less. However, aggressive defense representation is absolutely critical to ensure you avoid multiple punishments and collateral consequences for a single event.

How William Burrows Fights Back in Delaware County

Think of it like chess, not checkers. Every charge is a deliberate move designed to corner you, limit your options, and force a decision. But experienced defense attorneys and judges see this tactic every day and know exactly when cases are overbuilt.

In Delaware County, your case will typically begin in one of the county’s 32 Magisterial District Courts. The fight against overcharging begins here at the preliminary hearing. Attorney William Burrows and the legal team at SKA Law Group aggressively use this stage to challenge the government’s evidence. We file pre-trial motions to dismiss weak or duplicative charges before they can be held for trial at the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas in Media. It is not uncommon for an overcharged case to end with very few—or none—of the charges actually sticking.

FAQs: Why Prosecutors File Multiple Charges in a Case

Q: Why do Delaware County prosecutors file multiple charges for one event?

A: Prosecutors use multiple charges primarily for strategic leverage to build pressure. Stacking charges increases the perceived risk and uncertainty at trial, which makes plea deals look much more attractive to a defendant.

Q: Will my sentences automatically stack if I am convicted of multiple charges?

A: No. In Pennsylvania, courts don’t typically stack sentences just because the charges are stacked. Sentencing generally centers around the primary offenses, and lesser charges often legally merge or run concurrently (at the same time).

Q: How can William Burrows at SKA Law Group help defend against stacked charges in Delaware County?

A: Attorney William Burrows can aggressively challenge the evidence against you at your preliminary hearing in one of Delaware County’s 32 Magisterial District Courts. Our goal is to expose weak, overbuilt cases and file motions to dismiss duplicative charges before they reach the Court of Common Pleas in Media