Westchester New York Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

Dropping Criminal Charges: What Crime Victims Face in New York

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Most crimes are committed in the heat of the moment. In most cases, the perpetrators and the crime victims know each other. As with domestic violence cases, the parties may...

Establishing Paternity in New York’s Family Court

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In today’s world, it is common for people to have blended families. People have children from different relationships, whether they were married to the other parent or not....

Criminal Prosecution of Hate Crimes by the Federal Government

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In the United States, the Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutes federal hate crimes. This began after the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. These crimes can intim...

Voir Dire: The Process of Selecting a Jury in New York

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In New York, lawyers can question prospective jurors to determine their qualification for service. This questioning process, called voir dire, is important to the criminal...

Virtual Court Appearances & the Right to Confrontation

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. The Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitutions states that “in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right… to be confronted with the witnesses against him....

New York’s DVSJA: Sentencing Options for Victims of Domestic Violence

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In May of 2019, New York’s Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA) was signed into law. Previously, we mentioned the new law in a blog, and now we're detailing the...

Sexually Motivated Felony Charges in NY

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. When a crime has been committed but is not a sex offense, there may have been a sexual motivation. In New York, such can be charged as a “sexually motivated felony.” When t...

How to Expunge a Prior Marijuana Conviction in New York

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In 2021, New York didn’t just decriminalize marijuana – the state legislature made it legal for recreational use. Under these new laws, convictions for such can, in some ca...

When a Witness is Unavailable to Testify in a Criminal Trial

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In criminal prosecutions, there can be a lot at stake. For some defendants, they are facing years in prison – perhaps even the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, they may...

How Desk Appearance Tickets Really Work in New York

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Sometimes, when you’re alleged to have committed a crime, you’re not always taken into custody. In these cases, cops don’t use handcuffs and jail cells – they issue a Desk...

Auto Theft and Unauthorized Use of Vehicle in New York

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. There are many rules and regulations about the use of cars and other vehicles. In addition, various laws criminalize when a car is used without the owner’s permission or if...

NY’s Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. An allegation of child abuse or maltreatment can lead not only to criminal charges. Such can lead to a parallel investigation by a child protective agency. If they determin...