New York Criminal Lawyer Blog

Lindsay Lohan has had a very public life. Her ups and downs are well catalogued in the press. Her life’s time line is nothing more than a series of newspaper clippings, each one showing a further slide into madness. What’s sad is that her life demonstrates that in our celebrity obsessed culture one celebrity’s parents can easily make news. Michael Lohan, the infamous father of the infamous starlet, had made the news, this time for having failed to pay child support (not to Lindsay, but to another child he has by a different woman), reports a New York Criminal Lawyer. There will likely be no pity paid to the man; after all, he and Linday’s mother are directly responsible for pushing their daughter into a dark world of drugs, fame, obsession, and decline. That he and the mother seem to crave the spotlight as much as their daughter should be no surprise.

And a New York judge didn’t care one bit. The judge told Michael Lohan point blank: pay your child support or your going back to jail, noted a New York Criminal Lawyer. Lohan’s defense is questionable. Claims the famed father, he was on parole when the Montana based woman declared him the father, and because he was on parole he never had the opportunity to challenge the results, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. He then states that he was late on paying support most recently because of financial troubles? Kidnapping? No. Because of the November 2nd elections, said a New York Criminal Lawyer.

Failure to pay child support can result in jail time and a New York Criminal Attorney can help. If you find yourself behind on child support call today.

A former movie star and current TV star, one married to a former Miss America winner, has been charged with a crime. Police have charged him with fleeing the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor offense, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. The man had been driving along that day like it was any other day. Nice, sunny, pleasant, the kind of day that takes away one’s cares and worries. The kind of day that one would never suspect would lead to an arrest by the police. Then it happened, a sudden, violent, world changing event. The actor rammed his car, likely on accident, into the back of another car, noted a New York Criminal Lawyer. It must be said that it is likely but uncertain because the actor left the scene of the accident before the police could arrive to determine exactly what had happened.

The actor says it was all an innocent misunderstanding, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. He says that he exchanged insurance information with the other driver and had been patiently waiting for several minutes when he felt that the police officers were never going to show up, noted a New York Criminal Lawyer. Feeling that he’d done nothing wrong the man then left and went home. But, because he ran away, because he didn’t wait, because he refused to let the police investigate what happened, everything is now up in the air, reports a New York Criminal Lawyer. No one knows if he had been drinking, if he did this on purpose, or any of the circumstances surrounding the event.

Even minor car accidents can lead to police involvement and you have rights that need to be protected. Contact a New York Criminal Attorney today if you find yourself having to deal with the police.

DUI, DWI, what’s the difference? The question can be confusing to many and the answer varies from state to state. In general, DUI stands for “Driving Under the Influence” and DWI refers to “Driving While Intoxicated.” DUI is broader and encompasses driving while under the influence of drugs while DWI typically refers to driving while drunk, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. It should be noted that both terms are criminal terms. In Illinois, for example, one may have their license taken away while not having been convicted of a DUI. What happens is this: upon receiving one’s license, a driver agrees to undergo any field sobriety test ordered by a police officer. Failure to do so results in an automatic 12 month suspension of one’s license. However, this is NOT a criminal conviction, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. It does not go on one’s record and thus does not negatively impact a person’s life to the same degree. A DUI or DWI however is a criminal offense and is permanent and can impact one’s future to a great degree, reports a New York Criminal Lawyer. This is why it is recommended that a person refuse to take a field sobriety test. While one may lose their license they also make it much more difficult for the state to convict them of a DUI or DWI.

Sticking with traffic related offenses, pulling out of the way of an emergency vehicle is required in many states, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. The general practice is to move to the right but moving to the left is permitted if the driver feels that is safer.

DUI and DWI are serious charges and need prompt legal attention. If you’ve been charged with either you should contact a New York Criminal Attorney today.

A young intern, a popular Congressman. It is a scene out of movies, novels, and all too often real life as well. Perhaps it is a statement about the world we live in that simply mentioning a Congressman was involved in a sex scandal, one in which he allegedly cheated on his wife with one of his staff, is so vague that without more information the listener doesn’t know which Congressman is involved. This one is Gary Condit and the story is more juicy than many others because the intern is now dead, noted a New York Criminal Lawyer. Chandra Levy was a bright young face in the dark world of Washington D.C. politics. Everyone loved her and many were drawn towards her, including Condit. He began an illicit affair with the woman who was years his junior, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. And then she turned up dead. From the day forward, his life changed and his career was over.

Condit was never charged with her murder and in fact prosecutors believe he had absolutely nothing to do with her death. Instead, a man already in prison confessed to killing the pretty young girl and today that man is on trial for his life, noted a New York Criminal Lawyer. But, the sorted affair still haunts Condit. An FBI biologist testified during the trial today that Condit’s semen was found on Levy’s underwear, reports a New York Criminal Lawyer. The testimony was likely there to help the defense team paint a picture of confusion and political intrigue. While Condit may be innocent of murder, his offensive behavior will forever follow him.

Even if you did nothing wrong your name and reputation can be dragged through the mud when a crime has been committed. A skilled New York Criminal Attorney can help. Contact one today.

Anyone who grew up during the 1970s decade will immediately recognize his name: David Cassidy. The former star of The Partridge Family and also a teen romance and pseudo sex idol to millions of women all over the world, was arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. As a result of the arrest, Cassidy was forced to spent nine hours in prison, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. Nine hours locked away from the world, unable to leave, held hostage – a danger to the world around him – all this from a former TV star and singer. It would be surreal if it were not commonplace amongst the Hollywood celebrity culture. Cassidy also had to post a three hundred and fifty dollar bail fee, reported a New York Criminal Lawyer.

Cassidy for his part steadfastly denies that he was intoxicated while driving. According to Cassidy the heart throb had a single glass of wine at lunch and had taken a hydrocodone pill a few hours later (hydrocodone is a narcotic painkiller and mixing it with alcohol is generally ill advised). Police countered Cassidy’s assertions by claiming to have a found a half drunk bottle of bourbon in the star’s backseat, said a New York Criminal Lawyer.

Cassidy said he would never put someone in danger and was only driving because he had to attend a funeral, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. Cassidy lives in Florida with his longtime wife.

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Police officers put their lives on the line everyday and are rightfully seen as heroes by many. But, they too are human and not every police officer is always out to do the right thing. They are out for promotions and commendations just like anyone else at any other job. And that may have been a motivating factor when a Utah police officer arrested a man for a DUI. The problem? The man had Cerebral Palsy, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. Upon stopping the man while he rode his motorcycle, the officer ordered a field sobriety test. Because of the man’s condition, he has one leg that is shorter than the other. As a result of this, the man informed the officer that it was likely he would fail the test because he simply cannot walk like a normal person, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. The officer didn’t care and ordered him to take the test. The man failed the test. And in a greater irony, the man hadn’t even taken his prescription medication that day (medications can lead to DUI arrests).

The officer has been praised by the police department for being extra dutiful in taking down drunk drivers, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. In 2009 the officer made over four hundred arrests for DUI. Four. Hundred. But defense attorneys have begun questioning her and judges now find the officer uncredible. She often performs test out of site of the police camera, noted a New York Criminal Lawyer. Her actions have been called troubling in the past and arresting a man with Cerebral Palsy for a DUI is just the latest.

Not all cops are good and not everyone charged with a DUI is guilty. If you’ve been charged with a DUI you have rights that need to be protected. Contact a New York Criminal Attorney today.

Driving while drunk is a serious problem, part of an almost epidemic like disease that the country has to deal with on a daily basis – but flying drunk? Authorities in London detained a Delta Airlines pilot after discovering that the man was intoxicated and yet was going to still attempt to fly the massive airplane, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. According to the London authorities the man had a blood alcohol level of more than five times the legal limit (yes, apparently there is a certain level of drunkenness permitted for pilots).

Delta Airlines, when giving a public statement, sounded shocked, disappointed, and surprised by the entire ordeal. They noted that they are proud of the fact that Delta Airlines has amongst the strictest no drinking and flying policies in all the world, noted a New York Criminal Lawyer. Still, despite all that, the man still almost boarded the plane and took off. All that stopped him? The flight was destined for Detroit and while flying drunk to Detroit is not an extra stiff offense when you board the plane telling authorities that you intend to land in New York that is when you get in trouble, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. Add to the fact that the man had untied shoe laces, a dis shelved appearance, and smelled of alcohol and you have a cocktail for disaster – no pun intended.

The man is still in the UK, facing charges there of flying a plane while drunk. He will later be returned to the United States of America, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. FAA officials say they will open their own investigation into the matter.

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Knowing who you have called is usually a good idea. For a woman almost arrested and then subsequently used to arrest others, it would have been a great idea, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. The thirty five year old woman picked up her phone as she had so many other times. She was nervous, shaky, and in need of drugs. All she wanted to do was score one more hit. She needed her fix and and she needed it now. So, she dialed the number of her drug dealer and told him she needed drugs and she needed them now, reported a New York Criminal Lawyer.

The only problem this woman faced: she dialed the wrong number. Instead of calling her drug dealer she accidentally called the police, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. (Incidentally, to any drug dealers reading: maybe it would be a good idea to not have a number similar to that of the police department.) The officer on the other end was surprised to hear a woman calling and asking for drugs, noted a New York Criminal Lawyer. In the detective world they call that one a “gimmie.” So, he played a long, listened to the woman, and set up a meeting. There the police grabbed her, cuffed her, and took her into custody.

But, perhaps this is one time when crime paid because the woman was not arrested. Instead, the police used her to set up meetings with drug dealers and then arrested those drug dealers, reports a New York Criminal Lawyer. One can only hope that she dialed the right number when setting up those meetings!

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It is a sad commentary on society today that a man can be convicted of a money-laundering scheme that resulted in clients being bilked out of hundreds of millions of dollars and that said scheme is just one of a string of such events to take place. Regardless, a Florida man was finally convicted and sentenced to fourteen years in jail for doing just that, said a New York Criminal Lawyer.

The man preyed on investors from all walks of life, a fact that was not lost on the judge when sentencing came around. The culprit argued that he was now elderly and sick and that prison would be too harsh for him, reports a New York Criminal Lawyer. The judge responded that his victims were also sick and old and that they would be forced to live the rest of their lives in destitution all because of this man’s selfish acts of thievery. The man was ordered to return all of the money stolen but due to a lavish lifestyle little, if any, is expected to make its way back to the innocent victims whom the man robbed, said a New York Criminal Lawyer.

A lifetime of work for many was entrusted to the man. A lifetime of hard work, good will, and honest living was put in the hands of a man who didn’t care, noted a New York Criminal Lawyer. A man who was happy to steal, rob, and plunder his clients, violating their trust and ruining their lives – all so he could had a few extra zeroes to his bank account. Lives were ruined so he could have money he’d never be able to spend.

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Famed rapper T.I. has had a recent string of bad news but a Los Angeles area prosecutor decided to cut the artist a break. Earlier this year T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, was arrested by authorities. The arrest was for possession of drugs and took place after a routine traffic stop, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. A day after the arrest T.I. failed a drug test. The arrest and drug test failure resulted in the rapping icon violating his parole. As a result, Clifford “T.I.” Harris was ordered back to prison where he will serve the remainder of his 11 month sentence, reports a New York Criminal Lawyer.

Prosecutors had the option of charging T.I. with the offense, trying him, and then having him serve the time after his Atlanta-based jail time was finished. However, they used their prosecutorial discretion and dropped the charges, notes a New York Criminal Lawyer. It is a silver of a silver lining on an otherwise quite dark cloud, for T.I. Not so lucky may be the woman accompanying T.I. at the time of the arrest. Prosecutors have not decided whether they will charge her with drug possession.

T.I. was out on parole for a weapons based offense. The rapper had attempted to illegally purchase several high powered machine guns in Atlanta, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. He briefly served jail time but was to spent the rest of his time in public service, mentoring the youth of the community, advising them of how they could avoid a similar fate.

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