Prisoners Issues Archives - Pappalardo & Pappalardo LLP

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...

Actually Innocent: How Common Are Wrongful Convictions?

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Blackstone’s ratio is taught in many criminal law classes. Written by English jurist William Blackstone, the idea is that it is better that ten guilty persons go free than...

Opinion: New Report on Discovery Reform is Just Propaganda

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the writer only. They are not necessarily the views of the law firm or any of its attorneys. Last week,...

Predicate Felony Sentencing in New York Criminal Courts

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. When it comes to sentencing, a person’s criminal history matters. If a person has prior convictions – whether for violations, misdemeanors, or felonies – the prosecutor and...

Voting in New York With a Felony Record

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. When a person has lost the right to vote, this is called “disenfranchisement.” In the United States, an estimated 4.6 million citizens are barred from voting due to a felon...

Incarcerated Parent – The Impacts on Child Custody and Support

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Each year, tens of thousands of New Yorkers spend time in jail or in prison. In 2018, that number was 91,000 – that’s about 376 per 100,000 people. Somewhere between 55% an...

Bail Laws Revised in New York’s 2022-2023 Budget

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. It’s been all over the news – New York has changed its bail laws yet again. In addition to bail, there were also other new laws and other revisions. These were included as...

Criminal Defendants Can File Section 1983 Lawsuits Without Proof of Actual Innocence

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. After his criminal case in Brooklyn was dismissed before trial, Larry Thompson filed a Section 1983 lawsuit. In that lawsuit, he claimed the NYPD had maliciously...

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...

How Witness Mis-Identification Can Happen In Criminal Court

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. When police investigate a crime, they ask victims and witnesses if they could identify the perpetrator. This is especially so in cases where the crime is committed by a str...

A Criminal Defendant’s Waiver of the Right to a Trial by Jury

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In criminal cases in New York, a defendant enjoys a right to a trial by jury. This right is protected by both the U.S. Constitution as well as the New York State Constituti...

Factors Which Lower Risk of Future Criminal Behavior

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Recidivism is when someone who has been convicted of a crime commits another crime thereafter. Punishment for an offense is one way to lower the risk of future criminal beh...

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