Criminal Defense

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,...

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...

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...

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...

A 40-year-old man stabbed one fellow A train rider and a bystander who rushed to help him in lower Manhattan on July 30. The incident happened at the downtown W. 4th St. station just before 7:30 p.m. The attacker then led police on a chase through downtown before they...

As the push to legalize recreational marijuana gains traction in New York, with help from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, several prosecutors throughout the state have announced that they'll no longer prosecute low-level marijuana possession cases. Things like smoking or burning...

Drugs and alcohol can significantly affect the fine motor skills, including coordination, of those who consume them. This is why New York motorists are subject to stiff penalties if they're convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI). Motorists who a blood alcohol...

If you're planning a vacation this spring or summer and you need to bring one or more prescription medications with you, be sure that you have the proper documentation to prove that these are your prescriptions. Many people don't realize that possessing prescription...

The United States holds the record for the most incarcerated individuals in the entire world. In 2008, the numbers peaked with 1,000 out of every 100,000 adults being in state or federal prisons. Since this time, many jurisdictions, including those in New York, have...

After decades of tough-on-crime laws and mandatory minimum sentences that sent people in New York to prison for years, the First Step Act marks a transition in attitudes toward criminal sentencing guidelines. The bill won approval in the U.S. Senate on a vote of 82 to...