Blog Posts

MMD&C is proud to congratulate eight of its attorneys on being recognized among the Main Line Region’s Top Lawyers for 2026 by Main Line Today. The honorees are selected through Main Line Today’s annual peer-to-peer balloting system, in which legal professionals recognize their peers as among the best in the profession. Congratulations to Robyn E. Musi, Dimitri L. Karapelou, Thomas A. Musi, Jr., Rachel L. Mercurio, Lucas A. Clark, IV, Richard C. Daubenberger, Lindsay A. Killian, and Michael J. Mattson on this recognition. This year’s honorees represent a broad range of legal practices and reflect the experience and dedication MMD&C brings to its clients. MMD&C’s 2026 Main Line Region Top Lawyers: Robyn E. Musi | Alternative Dispute Resolution Mrs. Musi focuses her practice on helping clients resolve family law matters through negotiation, mediation, and other alternatives to traditional litigation. As a certified mediator and collaboratively trained attorney, she brings extensive experience in both litigation and alternative dispute resolution to help clients understand their options and work toward practical resolutions. Dimitri L. Karapelou | Banking and Finance Mr. Karapelou has approximately 28 years of experience representing debtors, creditors, trustees, and other parties in bankruptcy proceedings, business transactions, and commercial disputes. His…

When people picture what criminal defense looks like, they often picture dramatic trials, heated cross-examinations, and controversial jury verdicts. While those moments can happen, some of the most important victories in a criminal matter are secured much earlier and far more quietly. In the life of a case, the preliminary hearing is often the most overlooked, yet it can be the most crucial stage of a criminal proceeding. In Pennsylvania, a preliminary hearing is far more than a procedural formality. It serves as a critical checkpoint in the criminal process. At this stage, the Commonwealth must establish a prima facie case — meaning it must present enough evidence to show that a crime was committed, and the defendant is likely the person who committed it. Although this is the lowest evidentiary burden in criminal law, it is still a burden that must be met. Too often, preliminary hearings are treated as routine stepping stones on the path to trial. However, when approached with precision and strategy, they can present a powerful opportunity to end a case before it ever gains momentum. Because our firm approaches every case with a meticulous eye toward both factual evidence and legal sufficiency, we view…

When a case goes cold – no new leads, no new evidence, no avenues to pursue next – it can feel like an eternity waiting for new information to reopen the case. Sometimes that new information never arrives, but sometimes one new piece of information is all it takes to move a case from cold to closed. The Case Rithina Torn, 29, was the victim of road rage turned deadly in October of 2018 at the intersection of Dewey Road and Front Street in Melrose Park. Cheltenham Township police responded to the incident to find Torn suffering from multiple gunshot wounds following an altercation over a traffic dispute, which prompted Torn to step out of his vehicle. The other driver opened fire, leaving Torn fatally wounded, as he would pass away shortly after arriving at the hospital. With the perpetrator unknown to Torn, and eyewitness accounts of the car fleeing the scene offering only that it was a dark-colored vehicle, the police had little information to go on. Despite recovering ballistics from the scene and even offering a $10,000.00 reward, the case quickly went cold. Cold – Until There was a Match When the police recovered ballistics from the scene…