Westchester New York Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

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...

Predictive Policing: Stopping Crime Before it Starts

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Nearly two decades into the twenty-first century, it's clear that computers have changed nearly every aspect of our lives. When it comes to crime, the age of technology has...

Will Marijuana Be Legalized in New York?

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. 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...

New York’s Criminal Discovery Laws May Soon Be Changing

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. 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 s...

NY’s Highest Court Upholds SCRAM Bracelet Probation Requirement

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. A sentence of probation for Driving While Intoxicated (“DWI”) often involves a probation officer monitoring the probationer for consumption of alcohol. For instance, a popula...

Are You Eligible for a Hardship Privilege?

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. If you’re arrested for Driving While Intoxicated (“DWI”), your license will likely be suspended at your arraignment. But what about getting to work? How about attending cla...

What is Restitution, and Will You Have to Pay it?

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In some criminal cases, a prosecutor will seek restitution from a criminal defendant. Restitution is money the prosecutor claims the victim lost as a result of the crime. H...

The Rape Shield Law in New York

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In New York, there are limitations about the cross-examination of complaining witnesses about their sexual history. This evidentiary rule is commonly referred to as the “ra...

The Stages of a New York Criminal Case

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. If you have been arrested in New York, you are at the beginning of what could be a long journey through the criminal justice system. Here, we discuss the steps that most cr...