Revocation of Parole in New York State
By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. When on parole or post-release supervision (“PRS”), a person is at liberty after serving time in prison. The parolee is under the supervision of a parole officer (“P.O.”) a...
Gravity Knives No Longer Illegal In New York
By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. On May 30, 2019, Governor Cuomo signed into law a bill removing criminal sanctions for the possession of gravity knives. This bill brings the state’s laws into line with a...
Domestic Abuse Survivors to Receive More Consideration At Sentencing
By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. On May 14, New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA). The law would, among other measures, give judges more discr...
Calls Recorded By Jails Can Be Used By Prosecutors
By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. If you’ve ever received calls from someone in jail or prison, you’ve likely heard a recording prior to accepting the call. And it usually states that the phone call will be...
Use of Jailhouse Informants In Criminal Cases
By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. While in jail, inmates will chat with one another about their criminal cases. Sometimes, an inmate will confess his or her crime. But in other cases, an inmate can lie abou...
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...
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...
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...
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...