Criminal Cases: Q&A

A: Legal fees are determined by the complexity of the case. I cannot give you a specific dollar amount until we sit down and go over the details of your case. I can, however, guarantee that my fees are extremely reasonable and that our initial consultation is FREE.

A: You are not dealing with an impersonal law firm with a number of different associates. I am a sole practitioner who specializes in criminal matters. I will personally work on each and every step of your case and I am always available to discuss the specifics of your case. When you hire me, you get me.

A: Not necessarily but highly advisable. There is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting. No doubt you want to get a “feel” for the attorney who may be representing you as I want to get a “feel” for my future client. At an office meeting we will go over the details of your case as well as all other background information necessary to put your “best foot forward.”

A: If you have been arrested or contacted by law enforcement authorities, contact my office to set up a FREE initial consultation before you make any statements to the police. I have over 30 years experience representing clients throughout White Plains, Yonkers, Westchester, Bronx and Putnam Counties, as well as the entire New York Metropolitan Area. My goal is to navigate through the criminal justice system to achieve a favorable outcome.

A: I do handle the following Criminal Matters:

• DWI
• Drugs
• Shoplifting
• Weapons
• Assault
• Burglary
• Larceny
• Stolen Property
• Fraud
• Forgery
• Criminal Mischief
• Resisting Arrest
• Trespass
• Harassment
• Disorderly Conduct
• Probation Violations
• Aggravated Unlicensed Operation
• Vehicular Assault
• Check & Credit Card Fraud
• UPM
• Criminal Contempt

A: When you or somebody you know is charged with a crime in White Plains, Yonkers, Bedford, Harrison, New Rochelle, Mt. Vernon, Greenburgh, Mamaroneck or anywhere in Westchester County, it is essential that you have the best representation possible. It is not enough to have an experienced attorney who knows the law; you also need an attorney who knows the police, the prosecutors and all those involved. You need a skilled lawyer who knows his way around the local court system. For over 3 decades I have made it my business to know the people and polices that can affect your case.

A: That will depend on whether you’ve retained that attorney; if not, you should explain the charges and your defense and ask that attorney how they would handle your case; how they would approach it and what steps they would take and what arguments they would make on your behalf. If you’ve already retained your criminal attorney and it’s your first meeting with him, your job is to answer every single question that your attorney asks you as honestly as possible, and to tell that attorney everything they need to know. It never pays to hold back information, because much of what you may think is irrelevant may become relevant later on. Tell them everything, and let the attorney decide what will help and what won’t.

A: The biggest difference between them has to be the amount of time each one can spend working on your case, although there is also often a significant difference between them in terms of experience. Besides being less experienced in most cases than a good private defense lawyer, public defenders also have humongous caseloads, to the point that they’re often negotiating with prosecutors about 10-15 cases at a time, which means they have very little time to concentrate on your case, which means they are less likely to get a good result in your case. It’s common sense; a retained criminal defense attorney only has your case and a few others to deal with at any one time, which means he will be able to spend a lot more time with you, a lot more time investigating the details of your case to look for possible defenses, and a lot more time negotiating with prosecutors to try and reduce the charges. That’s all good for you.

A: There are very few mistakes that everyone makes. A lot of people make mistakes, but most make different mistakes; if I had to rank the worst ones, near the top of the list would have to be speaking to a police officer and making statements that can be used against them later. Right behind that, however, would have to be being rude to or resisting a police officer. Of course, at the top of any such list of mistakes would have to be getting caught in the first place.

A: You should absolutely fight in those cases when you are truly not guilty, and you should also fight hard if you are guilty, but you believe you can’t be proven guilty, although that can be a bit of a roll of the dice. It’s just a tougher row to hoe when there is some criminal culpability. A judge and a jury may sense there is some criminal culpability, but it may be worthwhile to test the system, although if you do so and lose, there is a good chance the judge will come down hard on you when it comes time for sentencing. On the other hand, if you have a true defense, or if you’re truly not guilty and have a totally reasonable defense and you happen to lose, the judge is likely to be more understanding, which could result in a less harsh sentence.