Legal Information Center

In New York state, it is illegal to possess and/or sell marijuana. Unsurprisingly, the penalties for selling marijuana are generally more severe than they are for merely possessing. Most people do not realize, however, that the definition of “sell” allows police to charge people with selling marijuana even though the “buyer” did not pay the…

In addition to prohibiting attempts to commit crimes (for example, where a person walks into a bank armed with a gun intending on holding up a teller, but is thwarted by a security guard before he can obtain any property) the law also punishes agreements to commit crimes. Thus, where two or more people have…

The legal prohibition of gravity knives is one of the most vexing crimes in New York state law. First, many people get arrested for this crime without having any idea that their knife is illegal, and this is very understandable given that “gravity knives” were for so long so readily available throughout New York state…

The New York Times recently featured an article concerning the prevalence of pain pill distribution rings throughout the United States. New York is no exception to this general trend. In fact, there have been several reports of illegal prescription drug rings in Staten Island and Manhattan, often times involving large distribution rings and physicians who…

Recently, the New York Post covered the arrest of a man who is accused of unauthorized access of his wife’s email accounts. In this post we take a brief look at the laws in question and discuss both potential charges and defenses in the unauthorized access of an email account. Where an individual accesses an…

Have you been arrested for bringing a gun to a New York? There is an age-old principle of law which says that ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it (ignorantia juris non exusat); if it were, one could claim a defense to every crime on the grounds that he/she was unaware such…

The next time you are thinking about riding your bicycle on the sidewalk – think twice (or at least make sure there aren’t any police officers around)! Indeed, you might be surprised to learn that it is illegal in New York City to ride your bicycle on the sidewalk, but it is. Specifically, it is…

Many people who are arrested for and accused of DWI in New York need to be able to use their car to get to work on a daily basis. Unfortunately for those people, New York law generally requires the immediate suspension of an arrestee’s driver’s license which lasts until the end of the prosecution, at…

The world’s oldest profession is still illegal in New York. What many people do not realize, however, is that prostitutes, pimps (or madams), and johns can all be arrested and convicted under New York state law without any sexual conduct taking place or any money exchanging hands. The state laws concerning prostitution in New York…

New York motorists can have their driver’s licenses suspended for a variety of reasons, including unpaid parking or traffic tickets, conviction for a controlled substance offense, unpaid child support, or other reasons. What many fail to realize is that once a person is “on notice” of the suspension, it is a misdemeanor to drive a…