Legal Information Center

Applying for a U-Visa (for Crime Victims) (by Laura Monagle) In 2008, the United States government began issuing U-Visas, a non-immigrant visa for victims of crime who have assisted with a criminal investigation and/or prosecution. The intention behind the introduction of this visa was to increase the incentive for victims of crime to come forward,…

Craigslist crimes defense attorney explains common NYC arrests Recently we have noticed an uptick in the number of arrests made by NYPD following investigations of advertisements on the popular website Craigslist (and to a lesser extent: the website Backpage). Though these websites can facilitate an almost limitless variety of crimes, the ones most commonly associated…

Civil Rights attorney discusses the arrest and beating of Kang Wong for jaywalking The New York Post recently reported on an incident involving an 84 year old man on the Upper West Side that was arrested and beaten by police officers after supposedly jaywalking. The article explained that Kang Wong, an 84-year-old with limited English…

Today, the ‘New York Times’ reported on a particularly shocking example of police brutality committed against two New York City college professors, Suzanne LaFont and her husband Karl Anders Peltomaa. The case demonstrates how easily anyone can fall victim to the unjustified force and abuse of authority of the police who are often inadequately equipped…

Many New Yorkers have read reports in the news media about cases, oftentimes assault cases, which are eligible for enhanced sentencing because the underlying act is treated as a hate crime. In 2000, The New York State legislature passed new laws providing for stiff prison sentence enhancements for offenders standing convicted of “hate crimes.” Penal…

An article about Matthew Galluzzo’s recent victory in a first-degree rape trial in Delaware County, New York, was featured in the most recent issue of Atticus magazine, the leading New York state criminal defense attorney publication. After overturning his client’s conviction on appeal (the client had been represented by another attorney when he was originally…

The Manhattan DA has announced a sweeping indictment of dozens of former NYPD and FDNY employees for allegedly participating in a massive multimillion dollar social security disability scam involving false claims for PTSD and other related injuries resulting from 9/11. Click here for more.

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…

Defense Attorney explains Strangulation charges in New York New York state’s Penal Law Chapter 121 contains the strangulation-related charges. These charges often arise in cases that prosecutors would describe as involving domestic violence (a crime committed by a person against his or her romantic partner). They also frequently stem from bar fights or brawls in…

The title of this blog is “PL 220.03 Desk Appearance Tickets Explained by a Criminal Attorney.” So…You’ve received a Desk appearance ticket which says that the “top offense charged” is “PL 220.03.” What does this mean? What will happen? Do you need a lawyer? In this blog, a criminal attorney will answer all of these…