Westchester New York Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

NYS Announces New Judicial Task Force on Mental Illness

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. New York has had mental health courts for more than two decades. In this type of treatment court, individuals living with mental illness can be linking with court-supervise...

New NYS Guidelines for Cops Responding to Domestic Incidents

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. On October 24, New York released new guidelines for law enforcement when responding to domestic incidents. Additionally, the state has provided additional funding to expand...

FBI Crime Data for 2022 Shows National Decrease in Violent Crime

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Each October, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) releases crime statistics from the previous year. For 2022, the picture is somewhat mixed. While violent crime has...

Auto Thefts on the Rise in New York, Across the Country

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. It’s Monday morning, and you wake up to go to work. Before you leave the house, you grab the keys to your Hyundai. You expect to find where you left it last night – parked...

Artificial Intelligence Scams Are on the Rise

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Artificial intelligence (“AI”) refers to the technological ability of a machine or software to “think.” You may not realize it, but you likely use it almost every day. Did...

US Supreme Court to Consider Another Important Gun Rights Case

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In June, the US Supreme Court granted certiorari to hear the case of United States v. Rahimi. In reviewing the case, the Court will consider the constitutional right to pos...

DMV Proposes New Regulations Targeting Dangerous Drivers

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Dangerous drivers are on the roads every day. Whether it be drug- or alcohol-related, excessive speed, or carelessness, these drivers make the roads less safe for everyone....

Qualified Immunity – When Public Officials Are Sued

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Those who have been wronged by the state or its officials have the right to hold government officials accountable through civil lawsuits. Yet through case law, courts have...

Second-Hand Smoke: Marijuana Consumption in Public Places

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In 2021, New York legalized the possession of marijuana for recreational use. Similar to alcohol, the legislation also intended to keep the drug out of the hands of childre...

Use of Stun Belts by New York Corrections Officers

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Corrections officers provide a necessary service to manage those accused of or convicted of crimes who are in custody. To that end, officers may need to use various forms o...

Swatting May Become a Felony Offense in New York

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. When a false report of a crime is made, this can result in criminal charges against the reporting person. If a person makes a report intending to get a large police respons...

Use of Ballistics Evidence in Court Called Into Question

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. When a firearm is used in a crime, bullets and fragments can be left at the scene. For investigators, this can be a source of potentially identifying evidence. But can poli...