New York Civil Rights And Criminal Law Blog

A federal wire fraud charge generally alleges use of a telephone, email or other electronic communication to defraud an individual located in another state. A conviction, however, requires a prosecutor to prove that an individual used interstate communications with the intent to deceive. After reviewing evidence, a court determines whether a defendant meets the requirements for a wire fraud conviction. According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, deception with false pretenses, promises and misrepresentations may result in a sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment. Wire fraud may...

If you or someone you know has been arrested for and charged with murder or manslaughter in New York State, you may find it helpful to learn how the state defines these two crimes and what differentiates them from each other. While both murder and manslaughter involve the death of another person, some very specific details about a case may determine which offense a person is charged with. Different felony classifications As explained by the New York Senate, murder in the first degree is determined to be a Class A-I felony while manslaughter in the first degree is a Class B felony. These...

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects citizens from illegal search and seizure. In other words, law enforcement officers are not permitted to search someone’s personal property or arrest them without probable cause. If an officer performs an unlawful search or arrests them illegally, the charges brought against that person may be dropped. What does an officer need for a legal search and seizure? Generally, an officer requires a valid search warrant or probable cause to search any area where a person has a legitimate expectation of privacy. In order for a search warrant to be...

Drunk driving charges are serious criminal charges with significant potential penalties and consequences associated with them. Authorities, however, may make errors during the arrest process or the evidence being used against the accused individual may be questionable. As a result, drivers accused of drunk driving should be familiar with the different ways to defend themselves against the charges they are facing based on any violation of their rights or mistakes made by authorities. Different drunk driving defenses include: Challenge to an improper stop – police must meet certain standards...