Q: I was charged in Florida with a crime. Can it be used against me in a pending misdemeanor case that allegedly I’m being charged with in Pennsylvania? (Pittsburgh, PA)

A: If you were convicted of it in Florida, of course. It can be used to calculate your guidelines for sentencing in that a prior felony conviction will equal so many points, depending on the type of felony and how it was graded (F1, F2, F3?) It may also be used against you at trial if it is similar in nature to your new crime. For example, if the felony was for theft, and your new alleged crime is theft, the DA can introduce it at trial to impeach your credibility. If, however, you were not convicted, only charged, it cannot be used.