Recently, the United States Supreme Court heard oral argument in a case, important to New York Criminal defense lawyers, requiring the court to determine if the “community caretaking” function of police officers allows them to enter a private resident’s home. While the Court has not yet issued an opinion in…
Articles Posted in SCOTUS Opinions
Supreme Court Issues Opinion Impacting New York Defendants with Prior Drug Convictions
As we reported in February, the Supreme Court heard argument on a drug case that will likely have significant consequences for many facing New York gun charges. Now, the United States Supreme Court issued a written opinion in the case. Specifically, the case required the Court to interpret the provision…
U.S. Supreme Court Hears Case Involving Constitutionality of New York Gun Permit Laws
In what is likely to be a blockbuster case the U.S. Supreme Court recently, heard arguments in a case involving New York gun laws. While the parties in this case were not criminally charged for possession of a gun, they prospectively challenged the New York City law banning the transportation…
Do Federal Gun Laws Apply in New York?
Whether you are a resident of New York state, or are just visiting, you are expected to know and follow all state and federal laws. This is particularly important for criminal laws and gun laws. But even the courts can sometimes have a hard time deciding which acts are unlawful…
New York Gets New Gravity Knife Law
New York has one of the most draconian and burdensome knife laws in the Country and as we have reported over almost a decade in this blog many innocent people have been caught up in New York’s knife law maze. Last week, however, after several prior attempts at changing the…
U.S. Supreme Court Hears Case that May Have a Major Impact on New York DUI Cases
Under New York DWI law, merely by driving a car a motorist is presumed to have agreed to take a chemical test when requested by a police officer who suspects that the driver is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This law, called an implied consent statute, is in…
New York Based Federal Court Strikes Down New York’s Ban on Stun Guns and Tasers
As Second Amendment attorney Peter H. Tilem reported in a blog on April 24, 2016, New York and New Jersey’s outright ban on stun guns and tasers were unconstitutional. Now today, a Federal District Judge in upstate New York confirmed that opinion and enjoined the New York State Police from…
SCOTUS Releases Opinion Impacting the Government’s Ability to Seize a New York Defendant’s Property
Recently, the United States Supreme Court issued a written opinion in an interesting case discussing the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Specifically, the case involved the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment and required the Court to determine if the rights contained in the Clause…