The New York Post reported recently on a case that is currently being tried in a Manhattan courtroom involving a man, Rafael Golb, who is, according to the story, “accused of going over the line and using criminal means to target rivals of his dad, noted Dead Sea Scrolls scholar Norman Golb.” The top charge?…
Continue reading ›Normally, when a person is arrested for a felony charge in New York City, they are brought before a judge within 24 hours to be arraigned on a document called a felony complaint. However, for the case to proceed further as a felony, the prosecutor must indict the charge(s) by making a presentation to a…
Continue reading ›New York’s judicial diversion program has been in effect for a almost a year now, having begun in October 2009. The program, explained in CPL Section 216, allows eligible offenders charged with certain drug-possession or drug-trafficking felonies to enroll in drug treatment programs as an alternative to a jail sentence, and possibly have the arrests…
Continue reading ›As just about everybody in New York knows, Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards was arrested this morning. He was later arraigned in New York County Criminal Court and charged with the misdemeanor crime of Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of Alcohol. The full text of the statute is below. Edwards was charged…
Continue reading ›Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree: Possession with the Intent to Sell. PL 220.16(1). A common felony in New York is Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, or Possession with the Intent to Sell (New York Penal Law Section 220.16[1]). Interestingly, possessing a controlled substance with the…
Continue reading ›UPDATE: Governor Paterson Vetoes New Legislation That Would Have Criminalized the Release of Sealed Court Records. Governor Paterson is now considering a bill that has soared through the New York legislature designed to punish those who intentionally release the contents of a sealed court record. When a criminal matter terminates in an accused’s favor, the…
Continue reading ›This post discusses some case law on the “Nullity” Concept in Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal or Dismissed and Sealed Cases in New York. An adjournment in contemplation of dismissal (“ACD”) pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law section 170.55 is an outcome defense attorneys commonly seek because of the very strong language contained in the final…
Continue reading ›Many recent arrestees facing criminal charges are confused about how the court system will ultimately resolve their cases, or, put differently, what will happen to them. They may also have serious questions about how much time it will take and other general questions concerning the overall process. Generally speaking, a misdemeanor case can take anywhere…
Continue reading ›According to the New York Post article, former New York Giants star Mark Ingram recently pleaded guilty to a federal bail jumping charge in Central Islip, NY. Under New York State law, bail jumping is the Penal Law charge designed to punish those who abscond while free on bail pending criminal charges. There are three…
Continue reading ›Yesterday the Appellate Division, First Department decided In re: Tatiana N., N.Y.L.J. (1st Dep’t April 8, 2010). The facts of the case were somewhat interesting: “This juvenile delinquency proceeding arose from events that occurred at a movie theater on East 161st Street in the Bronx, in which a family was subjected to a moviegoer’s worst…
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