Most everyone who’s ever used a dating app has misrepresented themselves to some degree. They might use a particularly strong filter to take their photos or shave a few years off their age, for example. Some people go much further, and with the intent of doing something illegal. So when can misrepresenting yourself online get you charged with a crime? It often involves pretending to be a person – real
Most states, New York among them, divide criminal charges into two broad groups: felonies and misdemeanors. What does that mean for you when you’re facing charges? Well, if you’re charged with a misdemeanor, you cannot face more than 364 days in jail (and generally will face much less) if you’re convicted. If you’re charged with a felony, however, you’re looking at least one year in jail and the potential for
New York recognizes the “implied consent” doctrine, which means that any person who operates a motor vehicle on the state’s roads consents to a chemical (blood or urine) test to determine their blood alcohol (BAC) level should law enforcement require them to do so. This test is administered when you are pulled over for a drunk driving investigation. During the DUI stop, one of the questions you might have is
Conspiracy drug charges refer to a type of criminal offense where an individual or a group of individuals is accused of conspiring or planning to commit a drug-related crime. While knowledge of a drug crime does not automatically make you a conspirator, you can be charged with conspiracy to commit a drug offense even if you never actually followed through with the act. The main aspect of a conspiracy charge
Certainly, everyone who is charged with a crime has the right to their day in court. If you’re innocent of the charge against you, you deserve a strong defense. However, what if you have some legal culpability, and going through a trial could mean being found guilty and ending up behind bars? Do you want to put your future in the hands of jurors? That’s where a plea deal may
It is common for those convicted of a driving while intoxicated (DWI) offense in New York to temporarily lose their driving privileges. License suspension is among the standard penalties a judge will impose when someone pleads guilty or the courts convict them of a DWI. The number of previous infractions in someone’s background, their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at the time of their arrest and other factors, like the presence
When the news breaks that someone has been “indicted for a crime,” a lot of people automatically assume that the defendant is definitely going to jail – but that’s far from the truth. Most people don’t really understand what an indictment means. In New York, a felony-level criminal charge cannot proceed to trial unless there’s been an indictment, or a set of formal charges handed down by what is known
Maybe your doctor prescribed muscle relaxants because you hurt your neck in a slip-and-fall incident. Perhaps you need to take opioid pain relievers to go about your daily business after having a surgery. There are many medications that you can legally take that could potentially affect your ability to drive. Sleep medication, pain relievers, anti-seizure medications, diarrhea drugs, motion sickness pills, some psychiatric medications and even over-the-counter cough medicine could
You may be facing criminal charges where the prosecution has overwhelming evidence against you. However, it does not mean that your case is as good as done. The court may suppress some of the prosecution’s evidence, meaning that the prosecution cannot use the evidence in question during the trial. This can happen when the judge grants a motion to suppress filed by the defendant or their defense team before the
In the United States, all citizens have the presumption of innocence. For criminal charges to stick, the prosecution must prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the offense occurred and the accused committed it. In the case of drunk driving, the prosecution must show beyond all reasonable doubt that you were impaired. There are some health conditions that can mimic the symptoms of impairment, and you may be suffering from them