Legislation

“No Loitering” is a sign one often sees on private property. Anyone staying on private property can be charged with trespass or more serious crimes. However, loitering refers to remaining in a publ...

On May 14, New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA). The law would, among other measures, give judges more discretion when sentencing surviv...

As discussed in last week's blog, the legislature recently passed sweeping bail and discovery reforms. There are also several other reforms taking place. Here, we discuss a few more of the changes to...

As discussed in our recent blog, the New York legislature was considering revisions to the state's discovery laws. Many of these reforms have passed, and effective January 1, 2020, the laws on bail an...

In New York, some persons who have committed sex offenses are considered too dangerous to live the community. This is even after they’ve served the prison sentence for their offense. These individuals...

Many people assert they would never admit to something they hadn’t done. And they believe that anyone who confesses to a crime must be guilty. The reality of false confessions, however, is much more c...

New York is often considered one of the most liberal states in the United States. Yet in 2019, it still has laws prohibiting the possession of marijuana. New York's governor has proposed changes to th...

There are only ten states in the US where prosecutors can withhold basic evidence from the defendant until the day a trial begins. New York is one of those states. With the start of the new legislativ...