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...
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...
“Clean Slate” Would Automatically Clear Criminal Records in New York
PLEASE NOTE: Our office has received a number of calls regarding the Clean Slate Act. This blog is about a proposed law that was not yet in force. The Clean Slate Act has now been signed into law, and...
Exposure, Lewdness, and Other Offenses Against Public Sensibilities
By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. There are some actions which are considered so offensive that they are criminalized. In New York, this includes exposure of intimate parts and other types of lewdness. They...
Traffic Stops and Pat-Down Searches by Police in New York
By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. You’ve been pulled over by a police officer. It's just for a traffic violation – your taillight is out, you moved out of a lane without signaling, or some other minor infra...