Sodomsky & Nigrini

Sodomsky & Nigrini is a criminal defense law firm located at 606 Court Street, Suite 400, in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania. The practice takes its name from its attorneys, Allan Sodomsky and Jay Nigrini, and concentrates on representing people who have been charged with crimes or who are under investigation by state or federal authorities. The office can be reached at +1 610-375-0412, and appointments are recommended rather than walk-in visits, which is typical for a practice where initial meetings involve a detailed discussion of the facts of a case.

Criminal defense is a narrow specialty within the legal profession, and firms that focus on it tend to spend their working lives in the same courtrooms, in front of the same judges, and across the table from the same prosecutors. That familiarity with local practice is a practical asset for clients, particularly in a county system where procedures, diversionary programs and scheduling conventions can vary from one jurisdiction to the next.

Location and Service Area

Court Street runs through the civic center of Reading, and the firm's address places it within a short walk of the Berks County Courthouse and the Berks County Services Center. For clients, that proximity is more than a convenience: much of a criminal case takes place in person, through preliminary hearings, formal arraignments, pretrial conferences, suppression hearings and trial listings, and an office near the courthouse allows attorneys to move between filings, hearings and client meetings in the same day.

The firm serves Reading and the surrounding Berks County communities, including Wyomissing, Exeter Township, Muhlenberg Township, Spring Township, Kutztown, Boyertown, Hamburg and the boroughs along the Schuylkill River corridor. Criminal defense attorneys frequently appear outside their home county as well, since charges follow the location of the alleged offense rather than the residence of the accused, and matters in neighboring counties and in federal court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are part of the broader landscape in which a Reading defense practice operates.

Areas of Practice

Criminal defense covers a wide spectrum of charges, from summary offenses that carry fines to felonies that carry state prison exposure. A firm of this kind commonly handles matters in the following categories:

• Driving under the influence, including first offenses, repeat offenses, refusal cases and charges involving controlled substances
• Drug offenses, including possession, possession with intent to deliver, and distribution charges
• Assault, harassment, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and other charges arising from altercations
• Domestic matters that overlap with criminal court, including Protection From Abuse proceedings
• Theft, retail theft, burglary, forgery and related property offenses
• White collar allegations such as fraud, embezzlement and financial crimes
• Firearms and weapons charges
• Sexual offense allegations and related registration consequences
• Homicide and other serious violent felonies
• Juvenile delinquency matters
• Probation and parole violation hearings
• Appeals, post conviction petitions, expungements and record sealing

Pennsylvania also maintains diversionary options that can resolve a case without a conviction for qualifying defendants, including Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition for many first time offenses. Determining eligibility, negotiating admission and completing the conditions that lead to dismissal and expungement is a routine part of defense work in Berks County, and it is one of the reasons that early legal advice matters, since some options are only available at particular stages of a case.

How the Work Unfolds

A criminal case in Pennsylvania typically begins with a citation, a summons or an arrest, followed by a preliminary arraignment and the setting of bail. The preliminary hearing before a magisterial district judge is the first substantive proceeding, where the Commonwealth must establish that a crime likely occurred and that the defendant likely committed it. Charges can be dismissed, reduced or held for court at that stage. If the case proceeds, it moves to the Court of Common Pleas for formal arraignment, pretrial motions, plea negotiations and, if the matter is not resolved, trial before a judge or jury.

Defense work at each of these points involves reviewing police paperwork and affidavits of probable cause, obtaining discovery, examining body camera and surveillance footage, scrutinizing the legality of stops and searches, interviewing witnesses, and in some matters consulting with investigators or expert witnesses on forensic, toxicological or digital evidence. Clients considering representation often want to understand this sequence in plain terms, including what is likely to happen at each appearance, what the realistic range of outcomes is, and what collateral consequences a conviction could carry for employment, professional licenses, immigration status, firearms rights or driving privileges.

Practical Information for Visitors

The office is on the fourth floor at 606 Court Street. The building has a wheelchair accessible entrance, wheelchair accessible seating, a wheelchair accessible restroom and wheelchair accessible parking, so clients with mobility needs can reach the office without arranging alternative accommodations. Restroom facilities are available on site. Because meetings are scheduled rather than taken on a walk-in basis, calling ahead at +1 610-375-0412 to arrange a consultation is the usual first step.

People contacting a defense firm for the first time are generally advised to bring any paperwork they have received, such as a citation, a criminal complaint, a summons, bail paperwork, or a subpoena, along with the names of any co-defendants and the date and location of upcoming court appearances. Court dates drive the timeline of a case, and knowing the next listing helps an attorney assess how quickly action needs to be taken. Anyone who has already been contacted by police or a detective should know that an attorney can communicate on their behalf, and that it is ordinarily wise to seek advice before giving any statement.

Character of the Practice

What distinguishes one defense practice from another is usually a combination of courtroom experience, preparation and the ability to explain a complicated process to people who are living through it for the first time. Criminal charges arrive without warning and affect families, jobs and reputations as much as they affect legal records. A firm that handles this work daily deals with clients at a point of genuine uncertainty, and the quality of the explanation a client receives about their options is often as consequential as the strategy itself.

Sodomsky & Nigrini operates in that setting, handling cases from summary offenses through serious felonies for clients across Reading and Berks County. Consultations are arranged by telephone, and the Court Street office keeps the practice within reach of the courts where its cases are heard.