New York State criminal records of arrests not leading to conviction may be sealed (including expunged, erased, or purged). The individual can deny the existence of the arrest, unless he or she is applying for a law enforcement job. Criminal conviction records can be sealed (including expunged, erased, or purged).In 2009, a law was passed […]
Author Archives: Friedman & Ranzenhofer
5) MENTAL HYGIENE LEGAL SERVICE (STATE OF NEW YORK) Representation without charge to persons in OMH and OMRDD certified inpatient and community residence beds who need legal advice or assistance concerning their care, treatment, institutionalization and/or placement. MHLS advocacy includes: rights concerning commitment and administration of medication; investigation of reports of abuse and neglect; and […]
The following nine agencies provide free legal services in the Rochester, NY area for those who meet their eligibility requirements: 1) THE ADVOCACY CENTER Individual advocacy, legal information, referrals, newsletters and workshops for persons in Western New York with developmental disabilities and their families. Must be a person or a family member of one with […]
If you are a New York resident and are having trouble paying your mortgage, or are at risk of foreclosure, contact a not-for-profit housing counselor in your area. Not-for-profit housing counselors provide free, professional advice. They can help you assess your options, negotiate with your lender and find free legal services and other resources in […]
The victim, a 38-year-old musician, was a passenger in a Ford Econoline E-350 van that hit a patch of black ice, slid into a ditch and rolled over two and a half times. He struck his head on the roof and was rendered a quadriplegic. He sued Ford Motor Co. for products liability. Plaintiff alleged […]
Rochester Criminal defendants benefit from plea bargaining by eliminating the uncertainty of a criminal trial and avoiding the maximum sentence. The prosecution also benefits by not having to prove their case and allowing them to handle more cases. The U.S. Supreme Court in Santobello v. New York noted that the disposition of charges after plea […]
The U.S. Supreme Court in Montejo v. Louisiana on 5/26/09 overruled a 23-year-old decision that bars police from questioning suspects without the presence of an appointed lawyer. The court overturned Michigan v. Jackson (1986) which held that once a suspect has asserted a right to counsel, any waiver of that right during police questioning is […]
These are the types of suppression hearings requested by the New York criminal defense attorneys: Mapp hearing: whether the police legally seized property from you. Huntley hearing: whether the police acted legally when and if you made a statement to them and whether the statement was voluntarily made. Wade hearing: whether the police used fair […]
Rochester, New York grand jury proceedings are secret and are not open to the public. The grand jury consists of sixteen to twenty-three people who listen to the evidence and determine whether there is enough evidence to put a criminal defendant on trial for a felony. If they decide that there is enough evidence, they […]
These recent verdicts for commercial and residential landlord/tenant disputes cover a no-pets policy which violated Fair Housing laws, a landlord who destroyed an auto shop owner’s equipment, sexual harassment and assault, false claims of child abuse and a landlord who delayed development of a golf course. $3,162,900 Tenant’s 6-year-old daughter was sodomized by landlord’s teen […]