Stephen E. Sebald

Stephen E. Sebald

also known as Stephen Sebald, Steve Sebald

4.9
Rating: 8.3

Licensed for 24 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Erie, PA
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Child Abuse, Juvenile

2525 W 26th St Ste 201, Erie, PA

About Stephen

Biography

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 30%

Whether you're the target of a criminal investigation or you have already been charged, you need to consult with a lawyer immediately. Call Stephen Sebald and Eric Hackwelder for an immediate response and an aggressive courtroom attorney to get you the results you need.

25 years | 30 cases

30%
DUI and DWI 30%

If you have been charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) or the closely related underage offense of driving under the influence (DUI), our experienced DWI attorneys will explore all opportunities for avoiding conviction or reducing the consequences.

25 years | 30 cases

30%
Child Abuse 20%

Contact Sebald & Hackwelder for a consultation with a child abuse defense lawyer about your allegations of child abuse. The child abuse defense attorneys of Sebald & Hackwelder are aggressive Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyers who are highly qualified and who will make every effort to fight the allegations against you.

24 years | 20 cases

20%
Juvenile Law 20%

At Sebald & Hackwelder in Erie, Pennsylvania, our attorneys have extensive experience helping children and their parents understand and protect their rights within juvenile court. Contact our team today for a free consultation.

24 years | 20 cases

20%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 60 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.

search module image

Search our directory

Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.

chat module image

Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.

Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.

Chat with

Licenses

Licensed in Pennsylvania for 24 years

State: Pennsylvania

Acquired: 2001

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Law Offices of Stephen E. Sebald

2525 W 26th St Ste 201, Erie, PA, 16506-3254

Ad

Transform legal challenges into solutions.

Connect now to review your situation.

The Avvo Rating explained

display-bg

The Avvo Rating explained

Stephen E. Sebald's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

42 Client Reviews

Posted by Larry | January 27, 2026 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

DUI

Attorney Sebald was on the job the minute I called him. He's very straightforward and doesn't sugarcoat anything. He's very easy to talk to and he got me the best outcome I could possibly get. I highly recommend him if you find yourself in a jam.

Posted by Mark Texeira | January 21, 2026 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Recommend

Stephen Sebald very professional throughout the whole process. He kept me informed and updated with everything that was going on, highly recommend. Thank you.

Posted by Mr Mohammed | October 30, 2025 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Exceptional Lawyer Who Truly Fights for Justice

Stephen E. Sebald and his team are outstanding attorney. He is friendly, approachable, and easy to work with. His flexibility and understanding made everything smoother. Financially reasonable and always fair in his approach. Very intelligent and strategic — always thinking ahead. He genuinely c...ares about achieving justice. Communication was clear and respectful at all times. He handled my case with confidence and dedication. We truly appreciate his effort and professionalism. Glad we hired him — highly recommended

Posted by Manny | October 16, 2025 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Stephen Sebald is amazing!

Greatest service I could ask for! First of all Mr Stephen Sebald is amazing attorney that does work for YOU. He puts you first & makes sure the outcome is as good as it can be! The entire team here below & with Mr sebald are terrific! Will be recommending him to anyone with any legal matter. Thank y...ou again!

Posted by Ken | October 16, 2025 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

The Best in the City

Great Lawyer, Had a DUI and He did an Excellent job on my Case, Would HIGHLY Recommend him, Best Lawyer I have ever had!!!

See All Client Reviews

Stephen E. Sebald's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Stephen
Garrett Arthur Taylor headshot
Garrett Taylor

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Steve is an exceptional lawyer. Both detail oriented and skilled in the courtroom. I without hesitation endorse this attorney."

Wallace John Knox III headshot
Wallace Knox

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 12

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Steve is a tireless worker and advocate for all of his clients. He is toughness belies a compassion for the underserved. His track record is excellent and I have never seen him give anything but his very best for every client. I enthusiastically endorse Steve."

Jeffrey G. Herman headshot
Jeffrey Herman

Violent crime lawyer | Mar 18

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Steve navigated our case to a spectacular outcome."

Kenneth Allen Bickel headshot
Kenneth Bickel

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 23

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Steven is a gentleman outside the courtroom but is a bulldog inside it, always advocating for his clients to get them the very best possible results. Steven has great respect from not only me but within the criminal defense bar in Erie and Northwest Pennsylvania, I heartily endorse Attorney Sebald. KB Esq"

Jeffrey D. Veitch headshot
Jeffrey Veitch

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 18

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I had to pleasure to work on a case with Steve where we successfully defended a hardworking young lady on serious charges. Steve represents his clients with passion and routinely obtains outstanding results. I am happy to endorse Attorney Sebald."

Eric John Purchase headshot
Eric Purchase

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Atty. Sebald is a zealous advocate for his clients with a strong history of successful results. I am so confident in Atty. Sebald's skills that I have personally referred family members to Atty. Sebald."

Darrell Wilmer Kuntz III headshot
Darrell Kuntz

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Steve uses his skills as an effective advocate to achieve great results for his clients in a variety of cases. He has the knowledge and experience everyone should look for in an attorney. I would not hesitate to recommend Steve to handle the most sensitive of matters."

J. Timothy George headshot
J. George

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Steve is an experienced lawyer, an effective communicator, and a devoted advocate for his clients. I have witnessed first hand his good work and wholeheartedly endorse him."

View All Endorsements
Jeffrey G. Herman headshot
Jeffrey Herman

Chapter 13 bankruptcy lawyer

Darrell Wilmer Kuntz III headshot
Darrell Kuntz

Unknown lawyer

J. Timothy George headshot
J. George

Criminal defense lawyer

Garrett Arthur Taylor headshot
Garrett Taylor

Criminal defense lawyer

Jeffrey D. Veitch headshot
Jeffrey Veitch

DUI and DWI lawyer

Kenneth Allen Bickel headshot
Kenneth Bickel

DUI and DWI lawyer

Experience

Rating:  8.3 (Excellent)

Honors

2011

Rising Star, Super Lawyers

Work Experience

2014 - Present

Attorney, Sebald & Hackwelder

2009 - 2014

Attorney, Carney & Good

2002 - 2009

Attorney, Sebald & Herman

2001 - 2002

Public Defender, Crawford County Public Defenders Office

Associations

2002 - Present

Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

Commonwealth V Finchio

The Court reversed an Erie County Common Pleas Court decision finding the 2004 DUI statute unconstitutional.

See More Legal Cases

Education

2001

University of Pittsburgh School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1992

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Languages

English

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution