Articles Posted in Understanding New York Criminal Law

The criminal defense attorneys at the Law Office of Matthew Galluzzo have successfully defended professional athletes against criminal charges in New York City, and have been asked to comment on television and in the news as experts in criminal cases pending against professional athletes such as Ray Rice and Oscar Pistorius. They also understand the…

Criminal assault charges for non-citizens in New York As the go-to criminal defense firm for the New York City consulates of France, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Belgium, the attorneys at the Law Office of Matthew Galluzzo routinely represent foreign citizens charged with criminal assault (including, for example, Assault in the Third Degree [Penal Law…

Individuals without criminal records arrested for misdemeanors in New York City are routinely charged by way of a Desk Appearance Ticket. Though individuals issued Desk Appearance Ticket do not spend twenty-four hours in prison awaiting arraignment like other defendants, their cases are no less serious than those misdemeanor cases pursued the “traditional” way (in which…

Frequently, non-citizens seeking American visas or renewal of current ones make the mistake of accepting seemingly excellent criminal dispositions without understanding the immigration consequences. For example, people arrested in New York for misdemeanor charges such as possession of marijuana (PL 221.05 or PL 221.10), trespass (PL 140.05 or 140.10), theft of services (PL 165.15), petit…

Though it is impossible to estimate their exact numbers, at any given moment there are tens of thousands of Canadian citizens living and working in New York City. In addition, thousands of Canadians from Québec take advantage of their geographic proximity to New York City to visit as tourists. Inevitably, though, every year a few…

An Attorney’s Analysis of Proposed NY Legislation to Upgrade Subway Sexual Assaults to Felonies Everyone can agree that sexual assaults on the subway are a serious problem in New York City. Recently, Senator Savino (D-Staten Island) proposed legislation that would upgrade the charges for sexual assaults in the subway system from misdemeanors to felonies. Currently,…

Operating as a major trafficker – NY’s “Kingpin” statute (Penal Law Section 220.77) A few years ago, the New York Assembly enacted into law a tough new statute designed to increase the penalties for major narcotics traffickers or managers of drug trafficking organizations. Penal Law 220.77, oftentimes referred to as New York’s “kingpin statute,” makes…

In response to a surge in seizures of methamphetamine laboratories in New York state, in 2007 the Assembly passed tough new laws outlawing the operation of facilities used to produce illegal “chemical” drugs like methamphetamine and its variants. Thus, anyone aspiring to be like Walter White on Breaking Bad faces significant penalties for their criminal…

Blog – Vehicular Manslaughter: Mayor De Blasio’s ‘Vision Zero’ campaign aims for zero traffic related deaths within ten years. The campaign focuses particularly on pedestrian fatalities resulting from traffic accidents. http://pix11.com/2014/01/15/mayor-de-blasio-launches-vision-zero-program-aimed-at-preventing-pedestrian-fatalities/#axzz2sI0z3H6l All road users need to keep in mind while contemplating the changes being implemented as part of the Mayor’s initiative that not only could…

The Wall Street Journal has reported that 106 people will be arrested soon for allegedly committing social security fraud in connection with post-9/11 trauma and mental illness claims. According to reports, the prosecution’s theory will be that certain individuals provided false information in claims filings which led to huge, unjustified benefits receipts. Specifically, it appears…