Do not go to court alone.

Why this is not a wait-and-see problem

Criminal matters are complicated and often overwhelming, and the consequences reach further into your personal and professional life than most other areas of law. The problem does not go away on its own.

Prosecutors, judges and juries will not show you mercy because you did not know your rights. There is no second chance to raise a procedural or jurisdictional defect that could have ended the case. And when there is this much on the line, you are not thinking clearly, which is the most ordinary human fact about all of this and the exact reason you need someone whose job is to think clearly for you.

Driving offenses

Operating a vehicle on a suspended or revoked license is a crime in New York under VTL §511, and driving on a suspended registration is a misdemeanor under VTL §512. Licenses get suspended for more reasons than most people realize, including an unanswered traffic ticket, an unfiled accident report, an unpaid fine, unpaid child support or unpaid state tax debt.

On alcohol and drug charges, if it is alleged that you refused a breathalyzer, a refusal hearing has to be held within fifteen days of arraignment. That clock starts without you.

• VTL 1192-1, driving while ability impaired by alcohol
• VTL 1192-2, driving while intoxicated at .08 or more
• VTL 1192-2a(a), aggravated DWI at .18 or more
• VTL 1192-2a(b), DWI with a child fifteen or under in the vehicle, Leandra’s Law
• VTL 1192-3, common law driving while intoxicated
• VTL 1192-4, driving while ability impaired by drugs
• VTL 1192-4a, impaired by drugs and alcohol combined
• VTL 1192-a, operating under 21 after consuming alcohol, Zero Tolerance

Drug charges

New York still has the Rockefeller laws on its books. They have been moderated over the years and they still carry very long sentences for the possession and sale of modest amounts. Sentencing follows the type and the quantity.

The stakes extend past sentencing. Non-citizens can face deportation and removal. Others lose their employment.

• Possession
• Intent to deliver
• Distribution and trafficking
• Manufacturing and cultivation
• Conspiracy
• Criminal diversion of prescription medications

Theft and larceny

In New York, larceny, embezzlement, false pretenses and larceny by trick all fall under larceny, and the degree follows the value of the property. Under Penal Law §155.05, a person steals property and commits larceny when, with intent to deprive another of property, they wrongfully take, obtain or withhold it from the owner.

Any larceny charge is a crime of dishonesty, and the consequences of a conviction follow a person for life, often indirectly and in places they did not expect.

• Grand larceny and petit larceny
• Shoplifting
• Possession of stolen property
• Identity theft
• Fraud
• Issuing a bad check

Sex offenses

A conviction here stains a record permanently and affects employment and education, and registration under the Sex Offender Registration Act carries its own consequences beyond the sentence. These charges need experienced, thorough representation from the beginning, and being embarrassed or overwhelmed is not a reason to face one alone.

Violent and domestic violence charges

Nassau County deals harshly with violent offenses. If you have been charged with one it is important to understand how serious the consequences of a conviction are.

We also understand that an argument can get out of hand, and that this does not make someone a felon. Our work is to investigate the facts of the case and build the defense the facts support.

• Assault
• Domestic violence
• Robbery
• Arson
• Kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment
• Criminal mischief and property offenses
• Hate crimes
• Homicide, murder and manslaughter