When someone is convicted of a crime in New York, they are entitled to appeal the conviction or to have a higher court review the conviction to make sure that the judge presiding over the trial did not commit any legal errors that may have invalidated the conviction. However, as…
New York Criminal Attorney Blog
Supreme Court Holds that Police Need a Warrant to Obtain Cell Phone Location Data
Earlier this month, the United States Supreme Court issued a written opinion in a robbery case requiring the court to determine whether the police should have obtained a warrant prior to obtaining the defendant’s cell phone location data. Ultimately, the court concluded that the level of intrusion in obtaining cell…
Court Discusses “Depraved Indifference” Sub-Section of New York Aggravated Assault Statute
Earlier this month, a state appellate court issued a written opinion in a New York aggravated assault case requiring the court to discuss the “depraved indifference” sub-section of the New York aggravated assault statute. Ultimately, the court rejected the defendant’s argument that the prosecution failed to establish that the defendant’s…
New York Appellate Court Reverses Defendant’s Drug Conviction Based on Illegal Arrest
Earlier this month, a state appellate court issued an opinion in a New York drug possession case, reversing a lower court’s decision to deny the defendant’s motion to suppress and holding that the prosecution failed to meet its burden to establish that the defendant’s arrest was legal. In so holding, the…
Common Evidentiary Issues in New York Criminal Cases
New York criminal trial lawyers know that New York criminal trials are all governed by the New York Rules of Evidence (NYRE). The NYRE cover which evidence is admissible and how courts should go about determining whether contested evidence should be admitted and presented to the jury. Given the importance of…
New York Appellate Court Reverses Defendant’s Conviction Based on Improper Questioning Regarding Prior Robbery
One of the hallmarks of our criminal justice system that evidence of prior criminal conduct is not permitted to show a persons propensity or tendency to commit crimes. Except in very limited circumstances evidence of prior criminal conduct is not permitted on the prosecutions direct case. However, if a defendant…
New York Appellate Court Finds Trial Judge Should Have Had Hearing on Defendant’s Motion to Vacate Judgment Based on Uncontested Witness Affidavit
Post-Judgment motions such as CPL 440.10 motions can be very important to a person already convicted in criminal cases. Very often an appeal cannot address a problem that occurred at the trial such as a lying witness or ineffective assistance of counsel. In such cases, a post-judgment motion may be…
New York Court Affirms Denial of Defendant’s Motion to Suppress Firearm
Earlier this month, a state appellate court issued a written opinion in a New York gun crime case discussing whether the arresting officer’s conduct violated the defendant’s constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. Ultimately, the court concluded that the officer possessed a reasonable belief that the…
New York Court Excludes Breath-Test Results from DUI Trial Based on Police Officer’s Incorrect Warning
New York DWI lawyers have been following a landmark ruling issued earlier this month, when a state appellate court issued a written opinion in a New York DUI case which determined whether the lower courts properly excluded the results of a breath test indicating that the defendant’s blood-alcohol content was above…
The Warrant Requirement in New York Search and Seizure Cases
Lawyers experienced with drug cases often seek to suppress the drugs recovered by the police based upon a violation of the client’s right to not be subjected to unreasonable searches. As a general matter, the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as well as Article I section 12 of…