Category Archives: Criminal Defense
Criminal Indictments Served On New York Towing Companies
On February 21st, New York district attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. issued four indictments charging at least 17 people and 19 companies in New York with conspiracy and corruption with respect to illegally controlling the list that police officers rely on to call towing companies in response to vehicle collisions. Specifically, Vance called it… Read More »
Spring 2018 New Jersey Legal Update
Below, we discuss some important legal updates that have recently happened, or are coming this spring, for the state of New Jersey: Huge Drop in New Jersey’s Jail Population; Thanks To Bail-Reform According to a recently released report, New Jersey’s cash-bail reforms have successfully improved criminal justice in the state of New Jersey, decreasing… Read More »
New Jersey Moves To Criminalize Certain Activities Involving Guns
In the wake of the Florida school shooting tragedy, some New Jersey lawmakers are advancing measures to tighten state already-strict gun laws, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has indicated that he (at least conceptually) embraces the move. The proposed bills would criminalize certain types of activities both for businesses that sell guns and… Read More »
Are New Jersey Towns Banning Marijuana One-By-One?
Even as the state of New Jersey’s new governor and legislators take steps to try and improve how effective the state’s medical marijuana program is in reaching people who need it, some New Jersey towns are enacting bans and making the substance illegal within their own borders. During the week of February 28th, the… Read More »
Rikers Island Facility May Close Early To Better Protect Inmates’ Civil Rights
A 70-page report delivered to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature on February 14th documents the rise in violent incidents and violations of inmates’ constitutional rights at Rikers Island, leading the state commission that oversees New York City’s jail system (the Commission of Correction) to possibly try to close the… Read More »
Will New Jersey Make It A Crime To Smoke Menthol Cigarettes?
Some New Jersey lawmakers have called for a ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes, arguing that it should be illegal to buy or sell them in New Jersey because they are more dangerous and addictive in terms of additives other than just nicotine. Some experts have also noted that, years ago, menthol escaped… Read More »
Is New York Close To Legalizing The Recreational Use Of Marijuana?
In January, Governor Cuomo ordered a study on the recreational use of marijuana to be conducted by the New York State Department of Health, noting possible legalization in nearby states like New Jersey. In doing so, many New Yorkers now posit that it is only a matter of time before readily available legal marijuana… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court To Decide On Sixth Amendment Rights In Death Penalty Case
On January 17th, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in McCoy v. Louisiana, a case which poses an important question in criminal defense cases regarding whether a defendant’s attorney can admit their guilt to a jury against the defendant’s wishes, and whether doing so violates the Sixth Amendment. This particular case involves a defendant… Read More »
Outdated Laws Block Information Flow & Justice For Criminal Defendants
Access to all information relevant to a criminal case is a crucial aspect of building an effective defense and in ensuring that our criminal justice system honors a defendant’s constitutional rights. And yet, this is a serious issue when it comes to crucial information on social media sites, as they typically readily hand over… Read More »
New York City Ends Cash Bail System In Non-Felony Cases
In a huge victory for New York City, on January 10th, the district attorneys for Brooklyn and Manhattan announced that they would no longer request cash bail in most misdemeanor and violation (i.e. non-felony) cases, allowing defendants to be released rather than sit in jail until and unless they could provide large amounts of… Read More »
