Background

David A. Keightly, Jr. is an experienced litigator in criminal law. Prior to joining Fairlie & Lippy, P.C., Dave served as a prosecutor in Bucks County for almost 11 years. He began there as a certified legal intern conducting preliminary hearings in some of the county’s busiest magisterial district courts several days a week. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court admitted him to practice law in Pennsylvania later that year, and he began his career as an Assistant District Attorney, conducting preliminary hearings, summary appeal trials, juvenile adjudication hearings, and other miscellaneous matters.

After that, he was assigned to the Trial Team, prosecuting hundreds of misdemeanor and felony cases per year through all stages of the case, including misdemeanor cases like driving under the influence (“DUI”), simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, harassment, stalking, criminal mischief, possession of controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of small amount of marijuana, and retail theft (shoplifting), and felony cases like burglary, robbery, motor vehicle theft, prohibited firearm possession, and “white collar” crimes like access device fraud (“credit card fraud”), bad checks, theft, and forgery.

Dave has also handled and prosecuted numerous homicides of varying degrees through plea or trial, from involuntary manslaughter and homicide by vehicle up through drug delivery resulting in death, third-degree murder, and first-degree murder.

Drug Crimes

Dave was assigned as a young prosecutor to the Drugs, Firearms, & Forfeitures Unit at the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, and quickly became familiar with investigating and prosecuting felony drug cases like Possession with Intent to Deliver Controlled Substances (“PWID”), Delivery of Controlled Substances, Drug Delivery Resulting in Death (“DDRD”), Corrupt Organizations (“RICO”), and Acquisition of Controlled Substance by Fraud (“prescription fraud”). Dave also handled various asset forfeiture matters.

From 2016 through 2018 he led the prosecution along with numerous police agencies in a grand jury investigation into a large-scale heroin distribution network that did an estimated $1 million in business annually in several upper Bucks County communities like Quakertown and Richlandtown and contributed to several overdose deaths. Despite the fact that only a very small amount of drugs and money were recovered during the investigation, which mostly uncovered the historical activities of the organization, the grand jury issued presentments on and charged 14 different defendants with crimes like Corrupt Organizations (“RICO”) and Possession with Intent to Deliver (“PWID”), all of whom pled guilty because of the overwhelming evidence compiled against them.

Because of their work on the RICO case, Dave and his colleague received the Pennsylvania Narcotic Officers’ Association’s annual “Outstanding Prosecutor Award” at a ceremony in April 2018. Dave and another colleague would receive this same award again in March 2023 for their investigation and prosecution of a large multistate methamphetamine distribution network which saw 11 defendants prosecuted in Bucks County and many more prosecuted federally in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Firearm Crimes

Dave also developed a particular interest in prosecuting firearms cases early in his career, and earn a reputation among his colleagues as “the gun guy” because of his enthusiasm for and success with navigating the many complicated firearms laws and regulations at the state and federal level. One of Dave’s roles was to screen all instances of people who tried to buy a firearm but did not pass the background check, and he came to realize that most of these people had honestly misunderstood the “legalese” of the purchase forms. Rather than charging these people, Dave had the police educate the person and explain the reason for the denial, which the firearms dealers may not do.

Dave handled countless other gun-related investigations and in 2021 was formally assigned as the office’s Senior Firearms Prosecutor, with a directive from the District Attorney to prioritize investigations into “straw purchase” activity, which involves a person buying guns and illegally giving them to people who would not pass a background check, usually because of a serious felony record. Dave strengthened relationships with law enforcement agencies like the police departments in Bucks County, the Pennsylvania State Police, officers in neighboring counties, the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms), the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation).

Later in his career, Dave helped the DA’s Office secure grant money to implement measures to prevent gun violence and prosecute firearm offenders, and successfully prosecuted numerous straw purchasers. Dave has also given several presentations to fellow prosecutors, as well as to detectives and other police officers, taking a deep dive into the many firearms-related issues seen by law enforcement and providing advice on how to proceed at the different steps of the investigation or court case.

Vehicle-related Crimes

Dave received a promotion from Assistant to Deputy District Attorney in 2016, and throughout the years held many different roles in addition to his drug, firearm, and trial team duties. David frequently assisted the Homicide by Vehicle Unit and handled a great deal of vehicular cases involving serious injury or death, ranging from careless driving cases all the way up through homicide by vehicle while DUI and third-degree murder.

David served as the Director of the office’s Auto Theft Task Force from 2019 to 2021. Dave twice applied for and received grant money for the office to assist with investigating and prosecuting automobile-theft-related cases, which included establishing new prosecutor positions. As Director, Dave oversaw 3 other prosecutors who were all granted the ability to prosecute auto-theft cases in Montgomery County by being cross-sworn there as special prosecutors. This position afforded Dave the unique opportunity to become familiar with Montgomery County prosecutors and judges, in Montgomery County court, while still being a Bucks County Deputy District Attorney, which is something typically unavailable to prosecutors.

Leadership Roles

David also eventually became a trial team coordinator who supervised, advised, and helped organize 7 prosecutors and their cases for two-week trial term periods. Upon the implementation of the individual calendar system in Bucks County Common Pleas Court’s Criminal Division, David was captain of President Judge Bateman’s courtroom, and supervised the 3 prosecutors and all cases assigned there. For fun, Dave played on and managed the office softball team until the league dissolved after the 2022 season, leading the team to several championships in the process!

Personal

Dave grew up in Lansdale, Montgomery County, and graduated from North Penn High School in 2005. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Management, with a minor in the Legal Environment of Business, from the Smeal College of Business at the Pennsylvania State University in Fall 2008, graduating a semester early because of college credit earned during high school. After college, David worked for 6 months as a court reporter using voice-recognition technology, traveling around central Pennsylvania to transcribe criminal, civil, workers’ compensation, and professional licensing hearings.

Dave worked for Fairlie & Lippy, P.C. as a legal research intern during law school at Drexel University’s Earle Mack School of Law. He graduated law school and became a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania in 2012.

Dave currently resides in Bucks County with his wife and their two daughters. He enjoys playing golf, disc golf, and softball, cooking, going to The Perk for dinner, being outdoors, and spending time with his wife and kids. He serves as an assistant coach on his older daughter’s little league team at Pennridge.