Now We Defend

No. Under Pennsylvania's Paul Miller's Law, you can't hold your phone while driving, and that includes sitting at a red light or stopped in traffic. Since June 5, 2026, a violation carries a $50 fine plus court costs. On this episode of the Now We Defend podcast, former prosecutors T.L., Tim, and Justin explain how the hands-free law actually works, the narrow exceptions, and why a $50 phone ticke...

A traffic ticket in Pennsylvania could cost you more than the fine. Some traffic violations can lead to driver's license suspensions, PennDOT points, higher insurance rates, and even jail time. So should you pay your traffic ticket or fight it? In this episode of Now We Defend, former prosecutors turned criminal defense attorneys T.L. Kearney IV, Timothy Long, and Justin J. Baran of Kearney Law ex...

No, police are not following you around, and every database search an officer runs leaves a record that gets audited. That's straight from West York Borough Police Chief Matt Millsaps. In this special episode of Now We Defend, T.L., Tim, and Justin sit down with Chief Millsaps for a rare conversation between former prosecutors turned defense attorneys and a sitting police chief in York County, PA....

Hearsay is an out-of-court statement offered to prove that what it says is true, and even when something is hearsay, Pennsylvania's rules of evidence let a lot of it into court anyway. On this episode of Now We Defend, former prosecutors T.L. Kearney, Tim Long, and Justin Baran unpack one of the most misunderstood objections in criminal court. Clients tell us all the time that something "...

Criminal defense attorneys defend guilty people because the job is not to judge the client. It is to protect their constitutional rights, hold the prosecution to its burden of proof, and help them reach a fair outcome. In this episode of Now We Defend, former prosecutors T.L. Kearney, Tim Long, and Justin Baran answer one of the questions they hear most: how do you defend someone who is guilty, or...

Yes. After a hung jury forces a mistrial, prosecutors almost always have the right to try the case again in front of a new jury, and there's no set limit on how many times they can do it, though a string of repeated mistrials can eventually give the defense grounds to push back. Lindsay Clancy's murder trial in Massachusetts ended in a mistrial after the jury deadlocked for days and the judge gave...

You don't have to answer police questions or perform field sobriety tests during a DUI stop, even if you're a celebrity. In this episode of Now We Defend, former prosecutors T.L. Kearney, Tim Long, and Justin Baran break down body cam and dash cam footage from real DUI stops, including Tony Romo's traffic stop and Justin Timberlake's arrest in New York. They grade each stop and poi...

No, deleting something from your phone doesn't actually delete it. That's just one of the criminal law myths former prosecutors T.L. Kearney, Tim, and Justin break down in this episode of Now We Defend. They pick up right where they left off a few weeks ago, working through even more myths they hear constantly from clients and from people online. This episode covers what actually happens t...

Kearney Law attorneys Tim and Justin both started their careers as prosecutors, trying cases in the Dauphin and York County DA's offices before joining the defense side at Kearney Law. In this episode, they go off script to share the backstory most clients never hear. Tim and Justin talk through how they landed at Widener Commonwealth Law School, Justin's five years of active duty in the Navy befo...

Hollywood has been lying to you. On this episode of Now We Defend, T.L. Kearney and Justin — both former prosecutors turned criminal defense attorneys — put a dozen of the most common criminal justice myths on trial and tell you what actually happens in Pennsylvania courtrooms. From whether victims can "drop the charges" to what really triggers Miranda rights, this episode breaks down the differen...

T.L. is away celebrating his birthday, so Justin & I are taking over the Now We Defend podcast. This week, we react to some of the most insightful, prolific, confusing, and downright ridiculous comments Kearney Law has received across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media platforms. They break down comments and questions about:• Refusing a blood test during a Pennsylvania DUI inve...

Real trials are nothing like TV. In this episode, T.L., Tim, and Justin (all former prosecutors) walk through an entire Pennsylvania criminal trial from opening statement to verdict. They break down why the most confident witness on the stand can still be completely wrong, how memory actually works under oath, and the strategy behind cross-examination, objections, and closing arguments. This is Pa...

You've been charged. Now what? This week on Now We Defend, T.L., Tim, and Justin pull back the curtain on everything that happens between an arrest and a verdict, using their experience as former prosecutors to break down how the process really works from both sides of the courtroom. They cover Pennsylvania's Rule 600 speedy trial clock and how delay gets fought over, why a 911 call can va...

You wake up to police at your door with a warrant for a crime you didn't commit. It happens more than people think, and it usually starts with a mistaken identification. In this episode of Now We Defend, T.L., Tim, and Justin break down everything that goes into an identity defense. As former prosecutors, they've built these cases from both sides, and they walk through how eyewitness ident...

Domestic violence and PFA (Protection From Abuse) cases in Pennsylvania move fast and carry consequences that reach far beyond the courtroom. In this episode of Now We Defend, York, PA criminal defense attorneys T.L. Kearney, Tim, and Justin break down what actually qualifies as domestic violence, how bail conditions and no-contact orders work, and why PFA and criminal cases must be handled by the...

What should you do when you get pulled over in Pennsylvania? It’s a situation almost every driver will experience eventually, yet most people have no idea what they’re legally required to do, what they can refuse, or how quickly a routine traffic stop can turn into a criminal investigation. In this episode of Now We Defend, former prosecutors turned criminal defense attorneys T.L. Kearney IV, Timo...

Thinking about carrying a firearm in Pennsylvania? Do you know the laws that could turn a simple mistake into a felony charge? In this episode of Now We Defend, former prosecutors turned defense attorneys T.L. Kearney, IV, Timothy Long, and Justin Baran break down Pennsylvania gun laws, concealed carry permits, firearm possession rules, self-defense considerations, and the legal pitfalls that catc...

When can you legally defend yourself in Pennsylvania? In this episode of Now We Defend, former prosecutors turned defense attorneys T.L., Tim, and Justin break down Pennsylvania’s self-defense laws, including the Castle Doctrine, Stand Your Ground protections, duty to retreat, defense of others, and the use of deadly versus non-deadly force. Using real courtroom experience and actual case examples...

Drug charges in Pennsylvania are far more complicated than most people realize. In this episode of Now We Defend, former prosecutors turned criminal defense attorneys T.L. Kearney, IV, Timothy Long, and Justin Baran break down how Pennsylvania handles marijuana offenses, drug possession charges, medical marijuana cards, drug paraphernalia cases, PWID (Possession With Intent to Deliver), confidenti...

What exactly is ARD, and can it help keep a criminal charge off your record? In this episode of Now We Defend, attorneys T.L. Kearney IV, Timothy Long, and Justin Baran break down Pennsylvania’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) Program, one of the most valuable legal tools available to first-time offenders facing criminal charges or DUI allegations. The ARD program can provide an oppo...

Can the way something is said be just as important as what is being said? In this bonus episode of Now We Defend, the attorneys at Kearney Law break down the Rule of 3s, a powerful communication strategy that defense attorneys use every day when working with clients, negotiating with prosecutors, speaking to judges, and arguing cases in front of juries. As former prosecutors turned defense attorne...

Pulled over for a suspected DUI in Pennsylvania? What you do in the next five minutes can shape the next year of your life. In this episode of the Now We Defend podcast, three former prosecutors break down exactly how to handle a DUI stop, what to refuse, what to consent to, and the single biggest mistake most people make. We cover:00:00 Intro and why DUIs touch so many lives03:00 The two main cat...

In Episode 2, we break down one of the biggest questions we hear from people across Central Pennsylvania: what actually happens when you get charged with a felony? A lot of people only understand the criminal justice system from TV shows, social media clips, or stories they hear from friends. The reality is usually much different, and the first few decisions someone makes after learning charges ma...

Welcome to Episode 0 of Now We Defend, the new podcast from Kearney Law hosted by T.L. Kearney, Timothy Long, and Justin Baran. In this first episode, the team introduces the show and breaks down what actually happens when someone is charged with a crime in Pennsylvania. As former prosecutors who are now defense attorneys, T.L., Tim, and Justin explain the early stages of the criminal justice syst...