Westchester New York Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

Understand the Prevalence of Hepatitis C in Prisons and Treatment Access

There are over 2 million people serving sentences in US jails and prisons. According to the CDC, 1 in 3 incarcerated persons has Hepatitis C. This viral infection is characterized by the swelling or i...

High-Risk HIV Among Incarcerated Populations: Reasons for Prevention Challenges

Incarcerated individuals as a group have one of the highest risks for HIV infection in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rate of diagnosed HIV i...

Medical Parole in New York: What Incarcerated Persons and Loved Ones Should Know

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. The number of elderly inmates incarcerated in New York has increased 98% since 2000. As such, many aging incarcerated persons have serious health issues – some with termina...

NYC Close to Home Initiative: An Uncertain Future for its Funding

The Close to Home Initiative is a juvenile justice program intended to keep youth close to their communities. The program includes youth with cases in the criminal justice system in New York City who...

Changes to New York Prison Care Package Policy

Recently, the New York correctional system has made some dramatic changes to the regulations for sending care packages to imprisoned loved ones. Before the recent policy change, care packages were all...

Not Guilty Verdict in Trial of Off-Duty NYPD Officer

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Angelo MacDonald secured a not guilty verdict on all counts for Pappalardo & Pappalardo client "C.H." The bench trial concluded on February 26, 2018 before the Hon. Ada...

Exploring the Fallibility of Testing DNA Evidence

For decades, forensic DNA evidence has been a useful tool in countless criminal investigations, both for incriminating and for exonerating suspects. Supporters of forensic DNA testing argue that teste...

New York Legislature to Consider Lowering BAC Threshold for DWI

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. One state assemblyman has proposed lowering New York’s threshold for misdemeanor Driving While Intoxicated (“DWI”), citing a recent recommendation from the National Academi...

Sextortion and Revenge Porn: What You Need to Know About Possible Changes to the Law

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In his “State of the State” address in early January, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his intention to make changes to the criminal justice system – including enac...

NY’s Governor to Push to Criminalize Revenge Porn, Provide More Discovery to Defense Attorneys

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Earlier this month during his “State of the State” address, Governor Andrew Cuomo detailed various efforts on his 2018 agenda that would impact the criminal justice system....

A Unique Re-entry Guide for Registrants on the Sex Offender Registry

“Sex offender” can be a very jarring term. Consequently, attention given to this term centers around the offense and the people who caused harm. However, people required to register on sex offender re...

Prison Visits in New York: What You Need to Know

Having a loved one serving a sentence in prison can be incredibly difficult, especially during times like the holiday season. Visiting your loved one can be very helpful to them during this time, and...