New York Criminal Lawyer Blog

It’s a sad day when the ice cream truck driver in your local neighborhood is arrested for driving under the influence. And, not just driving under the influence, but being nearly three times over the legal threshold, reported the New York Criminal Lawyer.

It’s a very lucky thing that the man was arrested, as he could have harmed others. As it was, the truck driver did almost hit a child and that is why the police were called. When they arrived on the scene, the trucker fell out of his ice cream vehicle and staggered over to the police. When asked what his address was, he gave them the date of his birth instead.

The man was arrested on the spot, indicated a Manhattan Criminal Lawyer, and was charged with DWI and spent some time in jail, sobering up. This case could have turned out a lot worse than it was, considering the man’s blood alcohol content was 0.227. In other words, he was more than just impaired; he was pretty much unable to function, talk, or walk coherently and had no business being behind the wheel of a vehicle. That being said, despite his arrest and time spent in jail, he is entitled to a well thought out defense.

Everyone charged with a criminal offense whether it be a DWI, assault or drug charge, is entitled to a vigorous defense. It is important to contact legal counsel right away if you have been arrested. Do not talk to the police or volunteer any information. Save the discussion of what you were doing for your lawyer.

It’s the law of the land that says those who are charged with a crime must be considered to be innocent, until they are proved guilty. Even in drunk driving cases, there are defenses that may be used to assist the driver to retain their license, have their sentence mitigated or possibly thrown out of court.

The important thing to remember is that even though something may “look” like it’s a crime or that the driver was drunk, there are cases where what you see is “not” what actually happened. Anyone charged with a criminal offense is entitled to have their say in court and the only way that will happen is with the assistance of a qualified legal counsel.

Contact the law offices of Stephen Bilkis and Associates for advice and guidance. We will advise you of your legal options and provide you with a free consultation. We have offices in New York City, including Manhattan, Staten Island, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. We also have locations in Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island, as well as Westchester County. Call us today at 1-800-NY-NY-LAW.

A man was convicted in Chicago of killing a young boy when he crashed his car into a tree. The boy was five-years old, reports a New York Criminal Lawyer. The incident occurred after the boy's mother was arrested for driving with a suspended license. The police officer at the scene took the mother into custody, but allowed the man, who was under the influence, to drive the boy home. The man was sentenced to three to 14 years in prison.

The initial incident took place in the Chicago neighborhood. The boy was eventually killed not too far from where his mother was arrested.

Throughout the trial, the mother of the boy insisted that at the time of her arrest, she told the police officer at least three times that the man was drunk and that she was the designated driver. She claims that the officer ordered the man to drive the boy home and even threatened to arrest the man if he did not comply. The man's blood-alcohol limit was twice the legal limit at the time of the accident. While driving, the man lost control of the car and slammed into a tree. The car then hit a fence and uprooted another tree, says a Manhattan Criminal Lawyer. The man claims he had no choice but to follow the police officers orders or face being arrested just like the mother.

The officer on the scene denies the mother's story. According to the district attorney, the mother actually pleaded with the officer to let the man take the boy home. Witnesses at the hospital where the boy died stated they overheard the mother telling a relative that she did indeed ask the officer to let the man drive. The district attorney also claims several other inconsistencies in the man and the mother's story. Apparently, the jury felt the same way and convicted the man of killing the boy.

It is unclear if the mother will face additional charges. The boy was killed last spring. The man was only recently sentenced for causing the boy's death. The lawyer for the man stated during the trial that the man was a victim of entrapment because he was forced by the officer to drive while under the influence. The lawyer also claimed that is was "necessary" for the man to follow the police officers orders.

Contact a Stephen Bilkis and Associates when facing legal issues. Whether you have been charged with a DWI, drug crime or sex crime, we can ensure that your rights are protected. Our legal team will listen to you and expertly represent your side during a trial or during other legal procedures.

A Midwestern university community is in mourning after the death of an undergraduate coed. Authorities reported that she died in a car accident near Columbus, Ohio. The situation involved one other vehicle, a van, which crossed three lanes of traffic and plowed into the young woman’s car after going over a median and the exit ramp of a major interstate highway.

The driver of the van is 19 years old. The accident the old coed who was on her way home for spring break. The female student was in her second year of college studying education. Authorities reported to an Manhattan Criminal Lawyer that the male driver had his attention from his driving while speaking on his mobile phone. The distraction caused him to lose control of his van.

The country highway patrol revealed to a New York Criminal Lawyer that the male driver was headed northbound in a company-owned cargo van. The female driver was pulling out of a rest area when the out-of-control van crossed three lanes of traffic, a median, then hit her car. The female victim was driving a Pontiac sedan. The male driver was uninjured following the collision. The female crash victim died at a nearby hospital after being transported by first responders from the scene of the accident.

The county prosecutor’s office is still studying the case to determine if charges will be brought against the male driver. It has been reported that the county highway patrol is recommending that charges be filed against the male driver.

The female victim was highly thought of by her teachers at the university and her roommate. There was not any information available at press time regarding her surviving family members. Her roommate said that her friend who died would be missed because she was one of the best women she had ever known.

The exact cause of death was not noted in the accident report. It was assumed by investigating officers that the high rate of speed the van traveled at in order to cross the median and three lanes of traffic must have been high. The impact marks on the female victim’s car suggested as much.

Continue reading "Dead Student Mourned Following Accident" »

A woman from has died after being struck by a police car as she was walking home.
The 63-year-old woman was struck by a police cruiser at 10:41 p.m. on a Saturday night as she walked home during a rainstorm, family members and police told a New York Criminal Lawyer.

She was taken directly to the hospital, but was pronounced dead at 11:25 p.m. She was only a few blocks from her home when the accident occurred, during a spate of severe weather.

The officer was also taken to the hospital to treat bruises on his knees. He was since released. He had been patrolling at the time of the incident. According to a Manhattan Criminal Lawyer, the police did not release his name and their investigation is ongoing.

The victim’s family had been hoping to gather at her house for the first night of Passover, only a few nights later. Instead, they will be mourning her passing.

The woman’s son-in-law explained that his mother-in-law was a warm, friendly person. She loved to have people over her home for gatherings. He described her as “very friendly and sunny, and just a very happy person, fun to be around.”

He said she “loved to celebrate the holidays, hosting holiday celebrations. We were supposed to go to her house tomorrow night for the first seder.”

If you or a loved one has charged with a crime, whether it be a sex crime, dug offense or gun possession matter, it is important to seek legal guidance promptly to ensure that your rights are protected.

Continue reading "Woman Killed by Cop Car Collision" »

A camp counselor committed suicide on the camp grounds, after becoming the subject of a sex abuse investigation. This summer camp was one attended by U.S. Senator Scott Brown in his youth.
The day after the investigation began, the counselor committed suicide. A 35-year-old man claimed the counselor molested him back in 1985. The accuser said he gained his inspiration to come forward from Senator Brown, who had recently revealed he was also molested as a boy in summer camp.
N York Criminal Lawyers have learned the counselor was also an assistant director and had been at the camp for several decades. He was found dead in his vehicle in a wooded area of Camp Good News, police sources said. The police have already ruled it a suicide.
“My client is saddened by the circumstances,” the lawyer of the accused explained. “He wanted to face the alleged perpetrator at a criminal trial.”
Senator Brown revealed early in 2011 that he was the victim of abuse at a summer camp when he was a boy, but he never said which camp it was. It was later learned that Brown did attend Camp Good News and that the camp wrote a letter of apology to the senator. The facts of the abuse were revealed the book “Against All Odds”.
Brown’s spokeswoman released a statement, stating, “Senator Brown is aware of the reported suicide at Camp Good News, but he wants to emphasize that he does not know the deceased and has never met him.”
The attorney of the accuser says he received two phone calls from adult men who also claimed the counselor abused them. The original accuser does not want to be identified. He says the abuse occurred when he was 10. In Long Island and Manhattan the accused does not have to reveal his or her identity until he or she is charged.
“There were red flags,” the attorney reported. “The questions remain: What did the supervisors know? When did they know? And what did they do about it?”
A former camp employee told Brooklyn Sex Crimes Lawyers he had notified camp administrators that the counselor had child pornography on his computer, but they did nothing. He also contacted the police in 2002, but nothing seemed to come of those allegations

Continue reading "Camp Counselor Commits Suicide After Being Targeted by Sex Abuse Probe" »

The preliminary hearing wrapped up earlier this month for the three men accused of beating and paralyzing an Oklahoma City Police Officer. The three men will stand trial, according to the presiding Oklahoma County Special Judge ruling.
When the officer responded to a northwest Oklahoma City bar last February, he was asked to escorting the defendants out because they were allegedly trying to start fights with customers. While doing so, he was attacked.
According to witness testimony, one of the men held the officer in a headlock and lifted his body while another three repeated haymaker punches into the officer’s head. The third man is accused of holding back any possible rescuers. Police in Nassau County and Manhattan alike go all out to find these kinds of criminals and bring them to justice.
During the attack, the officer’s neck was broken. The operating surgeon said the extent of the spinal cord injury was extensive and complete. According to a New York Criminal Lawyer, indicated that the injury likely shortened his life by 10 to 15 years.

All three men are facing charges of maiming or assault and battery by means of force that is likely to cause death. A New York Criminal Attorney reports that if convicted, each defendant will face the possibility of life sentences.

The second charge, of conspiracy to assault a police officer, was dismissed by the Oklahoma County Special Judge who agreed with the defense attorneys’ argument that the three men did not plan the attack.

The District Attorney assigned to the case reported that the man’s family has remained strong throughout the testimony, but that they were disappointed with the conspiracy charge being dismissed. He is expecting to appeal the conspiracy charge’s dismissal.
Members of the family point out that the possibility of life imprisonment may be “just” enough at this point.
The three men’s arraignment is to be June 10; a pre-trial date will be set then.
Oklahoma City Police Officers have set up a bowling and auction event for June 11. Proceeds will go to the injured officer and his family.
Spinal injuries can be devastating, completely changing the victim’s way of life forever. When injured by another’s willful actions, it can seem even more brutal. "I can't imagine having a child in the position that Chad is in right now. Being a parent myself, I don't know how you'd wake up every day and put your foot on the floor and get out of bed,” the District Attorney said.

Continue reading "Men suspected of paralyzing officer to stand trial" »

N York Criminal Lawyers have learned of the manhunt for a thief who robbed a bank in Manhattan and attempted to rob two others.
The 51-year-old suspect made his first attempt at a Chase branch on Eighth Ave., police sources reported. Witnesses say he had a demand note, but was forced to flee without money.
He returned to the same branch on Saturday and allegedly passed a note, but then took it back and left once again without any money – only to go to another bank minutes later. This time, he passed a note and escaped with the money.
In the Bronx, a man accused of laundering money was caught in Bronxdale after a police stop caught him with $200,000 in the trunk of a livery cab.
The 33-year-old suspect was seen by cops allegedly putting a box full of cash into the trunk of the cab. They also discovered that the box smelled strongly of cocaine. The suspect told police he had been paid by an unidentified person to take the cash to Manhattan.
According to sources, the police had been watching the laundering suspect for quite a while, suspecting he had money gained from drug sales or actual narcotics himself.
The police charged him with money laundering.
In other news, a man was charged with attacking a man with a pipe in Graniteville.
The 36-year-old suspect allegedly hit his victim in the face with his fist, then grabbed a pipe and hit him in the face again. The police were called to arrest the suspect and they charged him with criminal possession of a weapon, assault, and menacing.
There are any number of reasons someone might be arrested by the police, but only one good response – calling a NYC Criminal Lawyer. It could be something as minor as a traffic ticket or something as major as murder; but the right person can handle anything that faces their clients with skill, tenacity, and the discretion every client needs from their attorney.

Continue reading "Criminal Reports from the NYC Area" »

There are criminal arrests that happen every day all over New York City. New York Criminal Law Firms are available to help.
The first story takes place in the Bronx, where a mother is accused of slapping her 8-year-old son in their home in Castle Hill. The 30-year-old woman hit the boy so hard that blood pooled in his right eye afterward, sources said.
The boy’s face swelled up on the right side, due to the open-handed blow on March 30 at 6 p.m., police revealed to New York Criminal Law Firms.
The mother was charged with assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
Elsewhere in the Bronx, this time in Fordam, another was charged with assault, in this case a man for hitting his girlfriend. A 27-year-old man allegedly punched the woman repeatedly in the face and pulled her hair. She got away from him, but a few days later, there was another assault and he attacked her again in a similar manner.
“Don’t stay in the living room or you’re going to get it,” he shouted at her while punching her in the face, according to court papers read by New York Criminal Law Firms. The victim sustained facial swelling and bruising, while the man was charged with assault and menacing.
Meanwhile, in Manhattan, a man was arrested for scalping counterfeit tickets to a Rangers game, near Madison Square Garden, authorities explained to investigators.
Officers caught the 48-year-old suspect trying to trying to sell nine tickets to a game against the Boston Bruins, court papers detailed. The suspect was charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument and fraudulent accounting.
In another Manhattan story, a shoplifter attempted to steal $1,770 worth of jewelry from a Macy’s in Herald Square, authorities detailed in their reports.
The 53-year-old suspect is said to have had 12 necklaces and seven earrings in her possession when security pulled her aside. According to sources, the suspect had already been banned from Macy’s last June for reasons that are yet unknown.
In this instance, the suspect was charged with burglary and grand larceny.

Continue reading "City Crime Investigated by Authorities" »

Five Brooklyn high school girls stand accused of assaulting a talented music student with a padlock in a sock, all to keep her out of a talent show, sources told New York Criminal Lawyers.
“Yo, b***h, I got a lock,” one of the suspects reportedly said before they began beating the young singer.
The girl with the lock, 16 years old, and four of her friends are accused of attacking a 17-year-old senior at Brooklyn Academy High School. The singer was outside the home of her voice coach when the attack occurred.
Afterward, the victim had to have six stitches near her left ear. She also had a deep gash on her face, and bruising on her jaw.
“I wasn’t able to open my jaw. I wasn’t able to talk. I wasn’t able to sing,” the girl explained to New York Criminal Lawyers.
According to her, it was all about jealousy and the talent show. She even received a Facebook message, threatening her, saying “they were going to get her and hurt her so she wouldn’t ever be able to sing again,” her mother said.
Because of the attack, the talent show was cancelled. Witnesses say the attack happened quickly. The girls surrounded their victim and the ringleader began to hit her with the lock. The others joined in after that.
“I could see them hitting her and hitting her and hitting her with something,” a 22-year-old neighbor said. She was watching the whole thing from her apartment window.
“She started out on the stoop and you could tell she didn’t want to fight, but she came down and they fought with everybody hyping it up. She was bleeding.” In Manhattan, this crime would be treated the same way.
The victim’s friend tried to help, but she was also beaten, authorities revealed to New York Criminal Lawyers. Four of the teenaged attackers were arrested on the scene, with the fifth, the one with the lock, being arrested three days later.
One of the accused girls later confessed to being involved. “I did fight that day, but nothing was planned.” She is a student at Bedford-Stuyvesant Preparatory School. “There was a padlock involved.”

Continue reading "Five Teen Girls Face Assault Charges" »

A camera bandit, once on the loose in the Flatiron District, has been caught, police revealed.
The 19-year-old suspect walked into a camera shop on West 22nd Street at 3 in the afternoon and asked to see an expensive camera, then took off with it when the store keeper turned around to answer the phone.
“He knew what he was stealing,” a store manager told N York Criminal Lawyers.
The suspect ran across the street, dodging through traffic on Sixth Avenue, to make his escape, according to the manager. It was only a day later when the suspect was caught – he tried to sell the camera to another dealer, and police soon had him in custody, police sources said.
The alleged thief has been linked to another theft, back in December, of another camera of the same brand, worth $3,350 from another shop in Manhattan, police explained to N York Criminal Lawyers.
In the Bronx, a burglar was caught on tape fleeing the scene of the crime – in this case a home invasion in Highbridge he allegedly engaged in with four accomplices.
The 50-year-old suspect and his four companions are said to have broken into an apartment on Cromwell Avenue at noon, one day in April. He helped tie up two of the victims, while one of his friends allegedly threatened another victim at gunpoint.
“Get the money or I am going to kill him!” one of the men allegedly yelled.
The thieves managed to take $3,000 Gucci shoes, a laptop computer, and some credit cards. They also broke at flat-screen television.
“If you say anything, we have your information,” one of the thieves said before departing.
The suspect in the case was allegedly caught on video tape from a surveillance camera leaving the crime scene with a big black plastic bag full of stolen goods.
The police quickly tracked him down, arresting him before the day was out. His accomplices are still at large, police sources told N York Criminal Lawyers. Police are still on the lookout for them and will likely catch them soon, since one of the thieves is in custody

Continue reading "A Look at Crime in Manhattan and the Bronx" »

According to initial reports, an 8 year old girl was molested and sexually assaulted by the college student who was paid to be her tutor.
The girl said a tutor in her third-grade classroom at the Angelo Elementary School had put his hand down her pants many times, and molested her.
Then, the college student would very often touch her on the shoulder and tell her, “Good job,” the young girl told police. On Thursday, she said, that tutor –who was identified as a junior at a local college, indicated a New York City Criminal Lawyer—proceeded to rape her.
Later on that same day, she sought treatment at Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital, say the local police. Late Monday afternoon, police arrested the college student who is 21 years old on the college’s Easton campus. He was charged with rape of a child with force and indecent assault and battery of a minor under 14.
The defendant was arraigned Tuesday in Brockton District Court, where he decided to plead not guilty and was held on $20,000 bail.
He was ordered by a judge to stay away from the third grade girl, and also told he was to have no contact with minor children under the age of 16 unless they had parental supervision present at all times during the visit. He was also told he has to stay away from all elementary, middle and high schools until further notice. Sex Crimes committed in Manhattan, New York City call for a NY lawyer who knows the ropes.
The defendant’s parents declined to make a statement while leaving the courthouse after the arraignment. They told the local news station that they support their son. The case is scheduled for a probable-cause hearing on April 21.
The college junior tutored students at the city’s Angelo Elementary School as part of a Stonehill work-study program. Police said the supposed abuse happened on a several different dates. The young girl told police the events happened in the back of her classroom and other children were present while it was happening.

Continue reading "8 year-old Molested by Tutor" »

A group of students at a TX, high school recently participated in a Shattered Dreams mock drunk driving crash, a New York Criminal Lawyer just learned. Students at the high school played certain roles including both living and dead victims, and as the drunk driver who went to jail.

Shattered Dreams is a program that introduces high school students to the grim realities of what happens when someone drinks and drives. Sources went on to say that the event, which lasts two days, stages a mock accident in front of the participating school’s entire student body. As part of this mock crash, members of the local police, fire, EMS, and coroner’s office all react as though the crash was real. This is not difficult for first responders to do, as thankfully, they train for these situations often.

During the course of the mock crash, students will see “victim” students treated and transported to the local hospital by ambulance and helicopter. They will also see the “deceased” students transported by a local funeral home, and the “drunk” driver will be arrested and transported to the local jail for further processing, including arraignment. As a reminder that local students are the participants in these crashes—this brings the reality of the situation a little closer to home, claimed the Manhattan Criminal Lawyer.

Another part of the Shattered Dreams program, involves a “Grim Reaper” visiting a classroom every 15-minutes to select a student victim. This student victim would then be considered as the “living dead.” This represents the statistic that every 15-minutes someone is killed by a DWI offender. At the end of the first day of these mock events, those who participated in the crash, as well as those who were selected as the “living dead” will be taken to an overnight retreat, which further enhances the experience for each of the students.

The second day of this two-day event will be filled with mock memorial services for each of the crash victims and the “living dead.” While those students who participated as crash victims and “living dead” are permitted to return to class this day, they are not supposed to speak to anyone, as if they are not there.

While officials say that success of this program is difficult to measure, that if one life is saved as a result of the program it is worth it.

Continue reading "High School Students Participate in Mock DWI Crash" »