The crime of arson is generally the intentional setting on fire or bombing of the building or real property of another. The least serious arson charge in New York state is arson in the fifth degree, a misdemeanor charge. Arson in first through fourth degrees are all...
New York state's gun control laws are downright unfriendly to visitors from other states that have a more liberal concealed gun policy. For example, one former Marine from another state was arrested when trying to enter the Sept. 11 Memorial with two licensed guns in...
In New York and all other states, robbery is the taking and converting of another's property by means of physical force. Armed robbery is the same offense but with a gun, knife or other deadly weapon displayed by the robber. Robbery and armed robbery are almost always...
The bail system in New York is unfair and relatively arcane in comparison to most other systems around the country, according to critics. Even where low bail is set for a misdemeanor or even for an alleged criminal offense that is a nonviolent felony, the...
It is unusual to see prison employees assisting convicted murderers to escape from prison. In the case of the two escaped felons from the Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York, the rare situation exists where two persons are now charged in connection with...
It appears that the job of legislation is being upended by the scandals of corruption in Albany. The majority leader of the New York Senate, Dean G. Skelos, and his son are widely expected to be arrested by federal prosecutors in the few days. They will be charged...
A growing criminal enterprise in New York involves the switching of bar codes on products inside a store and purchasing the products with the lower bar code at the self-checkout counter. The criminal offense involved is generally charged as larceny, theft or grand...
When a federal indictment is lodged in New York or elsewhere against a target, one early procedural move of the defendant is to file a motion to dismiss the indictment. These motions are only rarely successful, but are nonetheless very much worth the effort,...
Crimes occur every single day here in New York and throughout the rest of the country. In some cases, it is quite clear who the suspect is and who will be charged with a criminal offense. In other cases, it may not be quite as clear, and an innocent person might be...
New York is one of two states that treats 16- and 17-year-olds as adults for all crimes. That policy creates harsh results, such as where minors are tagged with a criminal record for committing a misdemeanor that consists of conduct that is sometimes seemingly...
