Criminal defense of professional athletes in New York

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 unique issues facing professional athletes accused of crimes, such as visa issues, contractual issues, and negative publicity. As such, they are uniquely qualified to represent professional athletes facing criminal cases in New York

Many professional athletes belong to player unions that have labor contracts with their professional sports leagues that dictate suspension procedures for violations of the player conduct rules. (For example, the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement requires individuals convicted of felony violence to receive minimum suspensions of ten games.) These agreements can sometimes be used to persuade prosecutors to permit plea bargains to lesser offenses so as to avoid these bright-line career penalties that can be unduly harsh. Additionally, sentences that include probation can be impossible for professional athletes that are required to train and compete across the country.

In addition, there are frequently immigration (and therefore, career) consequences for professional athletes. Many foreign professional athletes are able to live and work in the United States pursuant to P-1A visas, and these visas can be jeopardized by criminal arrests and convictions. As the go-to criminal defense attorneys for the New York consulates of France, Australia, Switzerland, Belgium, and Saudi Arabia, Matthew Galluzzo routinely represents foreign citizens and has represented foreign professional athletes. Unlike many criminal defense attorneys, their lawyers are acutely aware of the potential immigration and visa consequences of criminal cases, including the lesser-known consequences, and can help foreign athletes successfully navigate the criminal justice system in such a way as to avoid jeopardizing their playing careers.

Finally, the arrests of professional athletes are almost always publicized. This negative publicity can not only make it more difficult to negotiate favorable plea bargains, but it can also seriously decrease an athlete’s earning potential and endorsements. The criminal defense attorneys at The Law Office of Matthew Galluzzo can help an athlete minimize the negative publicity with a well-orchestrated media strategy, as they have appeared ontelevision and in the news countless times (and in the case of Matthew Galluzzo, in multiple languages).

If you or a loved one are a professional athlete facing criminal charges in New York, you should seriously consider retaining the services of the former prosecutors and experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Law Office of Matthew Galluzzo. Their team has successfully represented professional athletes in the past and understands the unique collateral consequences of an arrest for a professional athlete.