Westchester New York Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

Gravity Knives No Longer Illegal In New York

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. On May 30, 2019, Governor Cuomo signed into law a bill removing criminal sanctions for the possession of gravity knives. This bill brings the state’s laws into line with a...

Orders of Protection in New York Criminal Cases

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. An Order of Protection issued in a criminal case will prohibit a defendant from having contact with an alleged victim. Called a restraining order in other jurisdictions, an...

Loitering in New York – Are Cops Targeting Certain Populations?

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. “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 r...

Domestic Abuse Survivors to Receive More Consideration At Sentencing

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. 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 discr...

Calls Recorded By Jails Can Be Used By Prosecutors

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. If you’ve ever received calls from someone in jail or prison, you’ve likely heard a recording prior to accepting the call. And it usually states that the phone call will be...

Use of Jailhouse Informants In Criminal Cases

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. While in jail, inmates will chat with one another about their criminal cases. Sometimes, an inmate will confess his or her crime. But in other cases, an inmate can lie abou...

Additional Reforms in the NY Criminal Justice System

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. 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...

Reforms Made to New York Bail and Discovery Laws

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. 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...

Civil Commitment of Registered Sex Offenders

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In New York, some persons who have committed sex offenses are considered by the state to be too dangerous to live the community. This is even after they’ve served the priso...

TASC and Substance Abuse Treatment in New York

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. If you're charged with a drug crime or with a drug- or alcohol-related driving offense, your attorney may tell you to start seeing a counselor for treatment. Substance abus...

False Confessions: Do They Really Happen?

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. 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 confessi...

Burglary vs. Robbery: What’s the Difference?

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. When talking about burglary and robbery, many people use these words interchangeably. However, in New York the legal definition of these terms shows they are two separate a...