Category Archives: Criminal Defense
When Litigation and Insurance Premiums Help Shut Down Police Misconduct
A recent article linked in The Washington Post discusses one town’s experience of using insurance premiums to regulate excessive force used by police; specifically, the story of one town (Sorrento, Louisiana) that was granted its wish to abolish its own police department after the insurance company providing liability protection to that department threw up… Read More »
Understanding Criminal Sexual Assault Charges in New York
Sexual assault is a very serious crime that carries some strict penalties upon being found guilty. It is important to understand where the line is drawn between sexual abuse and the four degrees of aggravated sexual abuse, as defined by New York State law, so that you understand when one type of behavior turns… Read More »
America Calls for Criminal Justice Reform
Amidst all of the many disagreements catching headline news this election season, one topic appears to have bipartisan support: criminal justice reform – specifically, the need to address racial disparities both in terms of arrest rates, sentencing, and penalties. And, in addition to these alarming statistics when it comes to particular minority groups, it… Read More »
Obama Commutes Sentences, Making Statement about Nonviolent Drug Offenses
On October 6th, President Obama commuted sentences for 102 federal prison inmates incarcerated for drug crimes, providing justice for individuals who were automatically cast as “career offenders” under federal law years ago and who were subject to unfair minimum mandatory sentencing. This brings the total number of sentences the president has commuted to 774,… Read More »
Hit and Run Accidents in New York: What Constitutes Unlawfully Leaving the Scene?
Every year, thousands of people are injured, or worse, in hit and run accidents, and data from 2015 shows that 38,000 incidences were reported that year in the state of New York alone. A hit and run accident can develop for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the driver was intoxicated or otherwise distracted and… Read More »
What is Self-Defense?
If you have ever looked up self-defense on the Internet, you will see numerous classes offered in Rockland County alone. When you think of self-defense classes, you might imagine someone wearing a padded suit, approaching another person in a slow and calculated manner. The “attacker” takes aim at the “victim” who then asserts their… Read More »
Bergen County DWI Arrest Results in Minor Traffic Violation
In an interesting twist of fate, Francisco Almonte, who was arrested in March of 2016 for alleged drunk driving, was ultimately charged in August only with a minor traffic violation consisting of failure to use a turn single. According to the evidence presented at Almonte’s trial, Bergen County Public Safety Director, Ralph Rivera Jr.,… Read More »
When is a Crime Considered a Hate Crime in New York?
In August of this year, two Rockland County rabbis were shocked to find themselves victims of a disturbing act of violence in their Clarkstown Town homes. Living only a few houses apart, within a matter of minutes, a group of teens allegedly set off loud fireworks on the property of each of the rabbis…. Read More »
New Jersey Lawmakers Propose Law to Expand Distracted Driving Definitions
Imagine driving down I-287, there is a lot of traffic and you are running late to an event. You hear your cell phone alert you to incoming text messages. It could be your kids, your parents, your boss or maybe someone else who needs to urgently communicate something to you. You pick up the… Read More »
DUI Arrests In Bergen County: What You Need To Know
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides that every day, 28 people die in accidents that are related to alcohol-impairment. In its most recent data, the CDC shows that the state of New Jersey saw almost 2,000 alcohol-related automobile deaths between the years of 2003 and 2012. Fortunately, most drinking and driving… Read More »
