New York Legal Blog
Know your rights when the scales are tipped
In recent years, accusations of police using excessive force have become the subject of widespread national discussion. In many of these cases, the targets themselves or their families and communities have spoken out and urged lawmakers to tighten the laws overseeing...
Study finds too few legal challenges to psychological tests
Legal experts recently joined forces with experts in the science of clinical psychology to study how successful the legal system is in weeding out questionable evidence. The researchers say the results are troubling. The two sets of researchers did a two-part,...
Charges of homicide after an overdose stir fear and debate
The Reagan-era war on drugs pioneered it 35 years ago, and now it is back. Increasingly, prosecutors charge people with murder or manslaughter when a friend or loved one dies of an overdose. Experts seem divided on whether the changes are ethical, effective or do...
Sex abuse victims sue the Catholic church
Late last year, sex abuse victims of the Catholic church’s New York clergy filed a lawsuit against the pope. The class-action suit claims that he and the Vatican knew and kept secret that several clergymen in New York were molesting children. The seven victims have...
Time is running out for many NY sexual abuse lawsuits
For New Yorkers who have experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, the legal options for seeking justice are changing fast. Historic moves by New York and Vatican officials have recently opened new legal doors and revealed new information. But at the same time,...
Entrapment defense not easy, but may be the right thing to do
Entrapment is one of those legal terms that sound familiar to most Americans, but many think entrapment is much more common than it really is. Some think police do little else but entrap for a living. Others believe dangerous criminals often get to just “plead...
Child Victims Act ‘look-back’ window still open
It's been nearly three months since New York's Child Victims Act became law. Victims and advocates had been fighting lobbyists and some politicians for 13 years. New York's Catholic Conference and the Boy Scouts of America, perhaps not surprisingly, were among its...
What you should know about New York City’s Right to Know Act
It's been a year since the Right to Know Act took effect in New York City. It was passed by the city council largely to deal with the New York Police Department's controversial "stop-and-frisk" practice. Many people asserted that Latinos and African Americans were...
Understanding the various impaired driving charges
If you're dealing with a DWI charge (or a loved one is) here in New York, you may wonder what the difference is between DWI and DUI. The latter, which means "driving under the influence," is perhaps the more commonly used term around the county. However, laws...
Multiple sex abuse lawsuits filed against Boy Scouts in New York
Among the victims of child sex abuse who are hoping to finally get some justice thanks to New York's Child Victims Act are former Boy Scouts. As soon as the law took effect last month, attorneys began filing suits on behalf of men who say they were assaulted by scout...
