Westchester New York Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

How Witness Mis-Identification Can Happen In Criminal Court

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. When police investigate a crime, they ask victims and witnesses if they could identify the perpetrator. This is especially so in cases where the crime is committed by a str...

A Criminal Defendant’s Waiver of the Right to a Trial by Jury

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In criminal cases in New York, a defendant enjoys a right to a trial by jury. This right is protected by both the U.S. Constitution as well as the New York State Constituti...

Factors Which Lower Risk of Future Criminal Behavior

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Recidivism is when someone who has been convicted of a crime commits another crime thereafter. Punishment for an offense is one way to lower the risk of future criminal beh...

“Clean Slate” Would Automatically Clear Criminal Records in New York

PLEASE NOTE: Our office has received a number of calls regarding the Clean Slate Act. This blog is about a proposed law that was not yet in force. The Clean Slate Act has now been signed into law, and...

Exposure, Lewdness, and Other Offenses Against Public Sensibilities

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. There are some actions which are considered so offensive that they are criminalized. In New York, this includes exposure of intimate parts and other types of lewdness. They...

Traffic Stops and Pat-Down Searches by Police in New York

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. You’ve been pulled over by a police officer. It's just for a traffic violation – your taillight is out, you moved out of a lane without signaling, or some other minor infra...

The Rise of Electronic Monitoring and its Costs to Criminal Defendants

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. During the covid-19 pandemic, there was an increase in the use of electronic monitoring. Yet such monitoring has been available for some time. The use of ankle bracelets in...

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Suicide is a crime in some parts of the world. While it is not criminalized in New York, it is still marked by stigma and taboo. Unfortunately, many people involved in the...

The Grand Jury and Its Role in the NY Criminal Legal System

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. The term petit jury refers to the jurors who determine a defendant’s guilt or innocence. In contrast, a grand jury is a larger group of jurors that determine whether there...

Proffer in a Criminal Prosecution: A Negotiation Tactic

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In the criminal legal world, the word proffer takes on a special meaning. It refers to a meeting between the defendant, his attorneys, and the prosecution. During this sess...

The Hidden Costs of the NY Criminal Legal System

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. The old saying goes, “Crime doesn’t pay.” And in New York, getting involved in the criminal legal system can actually cost a lot of money. From supervision fees, to restitu...

Clemency in New York: Pardons, Commutations, and Restoration of Rights

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Many people have heard of the President of the United States granting clemency. But individual state Governors can grant pardons as well. Here, we discuss the difference be...