Our Expertise When You Have Been Charged With a Homicide
The legal team at Pappalardo & Pappalardo, LLP has years of experience in defending those charged with homicide in New York and in federal court. Depending upon your circumstances, in the state courts of New York you could be facing life without parole in state prison. In the federal system, you could be facing the death penalty. You need to defend a homicide charge with the best possible legal team, one with the extensive legal experience and the successful litigation history that you need. Homicide charges include:
- Manslaughter in the second degree (recklessly causing the death of another person, or intentionally assisting or causing someone to commit suicide)
- Manslaughter in the first degree (intending to cause serious physical injury to a person which results in the death of that person, with at least one aggravating circumstance present)
- Vehicular manslaughter in the second degree (violating various traffic laws, such as operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which results in the death of another person)
- Vehicular manslaughter in the first degree (violating various traffic laws, such as operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs while also having a suspended/revoked driver’s license, which results in the death of another person)
- Criminally negligent homicide (criminal negligence resulting in the death of another person)
- Aggravated criminally negligent homicide (criminal negligence resulting in the death of a police officer when he or she was performing official duties)
- Murder in the second degree (intended to cause the death of another person and causing their death)
- Murder in the first degree (intended to cause the death of another person and causing his or her death, with at least one aggravating circumstance present)
Attorneys Experienced in Handling Forensic Evidence
This is a new age where technology and science rule the day. Today’s homicide defense attorney must be prepared to deal with difficult forensic and other issues that are beyond the province of most other attorneys. It is important to have an attorney who is experienced in challenging the testimony of the forensic experts used by the prosecution. Pappalardo & Pappalardo, LLP has experience in many different areas of forensic science and crime scene reconstruction, and indeed has seen much success in these areas, including but not limited to:
- Gunshot residue
- Gunpowder and propellant residue
- Gunshot residue pattern analysis
- Blood stain pattern analysis
- DNA analysis
- Fingerprint evidence
- Ballistics evidence
- Organic chemistry
- Crime scene reconstruction
- Serological evidence
Attorneys Who Will Help You Find the Right Defense
In homicide and other violent crime cases in New York, there are a number of legal defenses and other critical issues that tend to arise with regularity. We’ve defended defendants charged with murder, attempted murder, and assault for decades. We are always well-prepared to confront any evidence that a prosecutor may attempt to utilize and to aggressively investigate all defenses that may lead to your exoneration. This includes:
- Experience in asserting a “justification” or “self-defense” defense
- Experience in asserting the so-called “insanity” defense or an extreme emotional disturbance defense
- Experience in asserting a duress defense
At Pappalardo & Pappalardo, LLP, we have substantial experience crafting effective defense strategies to help protect our clients’ rights when charged with a violent crime.