In a 1963 U.S. Supreme Court case, Brady v Maryland, the Court held that a defendant is denied due process if the prosecutor does not turn over exculpatory evidence to defendant's counsel. Some 50 years later, the essential mandate of Brady remains intact. Recently, a...
Felonies
Man held in New York on out-of-state felony charges
After committing a crime, some perpetrators become fugitives and end up hiding in another state. Of course, it is a defense attorney's duty to assure that the police have the right person and have not made a mistake. If the suspect is arrested in New York on alleged...
Cops accuse 2 of criminal offense of possessing stolen plaque
The respect for tradition and local history took another hit recently when a worker in a Syracuse recycling center found the broken pieces of a historic plaque honoring a Civil War era figure. The plaque had been reported stolen from a monument located in Onondaga...
Police charge woman with criminal offense of making false report
When a young person goes missing under suspicious circumstances, the police and the community may mobilize to put many hours of hard work into finding the person. That happened recently with respect to the reported disappearance of a 24-year-old woman from her...
Felony charges for gambling ring implicates draconian sentences
In New York, most gambling is illegal with some exceptions. According to Brooklyn's district attorney, illegal gambling is not a victimless crime. He says that is why he led the arrest on felony charges of several men for allegedly running an internet-based sports...
Contractor accused of criminal offense of grand larceny
There is a line over which a home improvement contractor cannot go without facing a probability of criminal charges. The most glaring example of crossing the line would be to take a sizable payment of several thousand dollars up front and then not do any of the work...
Criminal offense of aiding Isis requires factual proof
It is illegal to give support to the Islamic State by trying to help people sign up for the group and/or help them make plans to travel to a foreign country to join their ranks. The most recent instance in New York of such a charge took place when federal officials in...
Ninja burglar will plead guilty to 3 felony charges
The man identified as the "Ninja Burglar" has been caught and apparently confessed to his nearly 150 burglaries that have occurred since 2005. The 46-year-old man was arrested on felony charges for breaking into homes in the middle of the night, dressed in the attire...
Felony charges filed in connection with municipal bond funding
Criminal defense work in New York often involves defending against the so-called white-collar offenses that are charged against business and professional people. These often involve charges against elected officials who are accused of illegally conspiring with persons...
Criminal offense of first degree assault carries stiff penalties
Assault charges in New York are very common. Any fight between two or more persons can result in assault charges. The charged offense can range from a misdemeanor to a felony. The range of imprisonment on this type of criminal offense can go from one year up to 25...