Every criminal case is unique and different and requires a thorough review of the facts, circumstances, and law.  It is important to contact an experienced, compassionate, and caring criminal defense lawyer who has broad experience in the criminal justice system.  When you select your criminal defense attorney it is important that your lawyer has the [...]

In most instances, especially if you are charged with a misdemeanor or a felony, you will have to appear in court on several occasions.  However, there are many times when your attorney can appear on your behalf, so you are not inconvenienced or must miss work or family engagements. If you cannot appear in Court, [...]

An experienced criminal defense lawyer cannot guarantee or make promises regarding the outcome of a case.  Every case is different.  Based on experience, the attorney may be able to provide some examples of prior similar cases or the thought process as to how the case may proceed.  However, a prior successful outcome in another case, [...]

Not necessarily.  The Miranda rights or Miranda warnings, commonly referred to as your right to remain silent, protect you from making any statements that the prosecutor will use against you at trial.  If the prosecution or police are not seeking to question you or to use your statements against you, they are not required [...]

Maybe. While many cases resolve by way of a plea bargain prior to trial, in many cases there is a disagreement about what happened, or what a fair resolution would be. In these cases, the matter proceeds to a trial so a jury or judge can determine whether the person charged is guilty or not [...]

Nothing. At a trial, the burden of proof is on the prosecutor to prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. A defendant in a criminal case does not have to prove his/her innocence. In fact, the defendant in a criminal case is under no obligation to speak or testify at all.

Yes. If there is a person who was harmed, that person will have an opportunity to participate in the case either as a witness during a trial, or by speaking to the prosecutor’s office prior to a plea or at a sentencing. Although the victim has an opportunity to be heard, and while the victim’s [...]

It is important to understand that the absence of a criminal history does not change the facts of the case you and your attorney are defending. If the case is decided by a judge or jury, the verdict will be determined by the facts as presented and argued by the prosecution and the defense. Should [...]

In New York state, thanks to a record-sealing law passed in 2017, you are now eligible to have a broad range of convictions—felony and misdemeanor—sealed from public view after a ten-year waiting period. Sex crimes and violent felonies are excluded.

Generally, a felony is charged when the alleged conduct of the defendant is more serious. The technical distinction is one of maximum punishment. If a crime carries a maximum incarceration of one year or less, it is a misdemeanor; more than a year and it rises to a felony. Serious crimes such as murder, rape, [...]