On Friday, October 24th, Andrew Safranko presented an ‘Update in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure’ at the Lake Placid Mirror Lake Inn  Resort and Spa on behalf of the Federation of Bar Associations Fourth Judicial District  . This update focused on the relatively new legislation on sealing criminal records for drug offenses in New York, as well as [...]

With Halloween right around the corner, it means lots of miniature superheroes and Disney characters will be wandering the neighborhoods in search of candy.  Halloween is also a time of increased danger for pedestrians because of the increased foot traffic on the sidewalks and roads.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Centers [...]

October is National Fire Prevention Month. According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2013 there were 1.25 million fires reported in the United States.  This amounts to a fire every 25 seconds.   Over 3,000 people were killed and damages in excess of 10 billion dollars occurred as a result of those fires. Below are [...]

Yesterday, the City of Troy’s first ghost bicycle was dedicated to a man recently struck by a motorist and killed while riding his bicycle on River Street in June.   Following the dedication, cyclists took part in a silent bike ride. It seems as though there has been a significant increase in cyclists being injured by passing vehicles.  [...]

“Our answer to the question of what police must do before searching a cell phone seized incident to an arrest is accordingly simple—get a warrant.” On June 25, 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously ruled that police officers may not search through the cell phone of a person upon making an arrest [...]

In the State of New York, in order to register a vehicle, you must have New York State issued automobile liability insurance.  If there is a lapse in auto insurance, the DMV will suspend your vehicle registration and driver’s license and you will be required to pay significant fines. The State of New York requires [...]

This holiday weekend, police officers around the state will be out in full force.  Their mission? Seatbelt violations. May 19th through June 1st is National Seat Belt Enforcement Mobilization – an initiative run through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration meant to enforce the Click It or Ticket campaign.  It is estimated that one in five Americans fail to wear a [...]

On April 22, 2014 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Navarette v. California that a traffic stop based on an anonymous 911 tip was permissible because it provided the police with reasonable suspicion that the driver of the vehicle was intoxicated.  The decision stems from an incident in California where a motorist allegedly ran a [...]

In New York State the rules of the road are contained in the Vehicle and Traffic Law. If a person is convicted of breaking one of these rules, it can have serious consequences which include fines, possible jail time, points on a driving record and in some instances, a criminal conviction. Points, by definition, are [...]