Orders of Protection

February 7, 2018

When a New York Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Arrest Becomes a Felony: Aggravated Family Offenses

New York Penal Law 240.75 is a section of New York’s criminal law that is somewhat of an unknown in the non-legal community. There is much support behind the concept that if you repeatedly commit and are convicted of domestic violence crimes or family offenses, at some point an order of protection and some degree of incarceration in a local or county jail is not enough.

To combat this concern, New York State created the crime of Aggravated Family Offense pursuant to New York Penal Law 240.75. Whether your New York domestic violence lawyer advises you on this statute or you missed the opportunity and you are standing before a criminal court judge for sentencing, know that your exposure on this class “E” felony is quite serious. In fact, what was only a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in a county jail can no be a felony with a potential sentence of up to four years “upstate.” If you have a prior felony regardless of whether its violent, domestic or white collar and you were convicted of that offense in the prior ten years, because Aggravated Family Offenses are class “E” felonies, a conviction would not merely be as great as four years, but you would also face a mandatory one and a half to three years in prison. Regardless, living within the confines of the New York State or local county department of corrections for any period of time is a miserable way to tick away the days of your life.

January 16, 2018

Criminal Contempt in New York and the Identity of the Protected Person: What Role Does “Victim” Identity Have in a Criminal Complaint

by Jeremy Saland

Misdemeanor and Felony Criminal Contempt crimes and charges in New York, New York Penal Law 215.50 and New York Penal Law 215.51 respectively, often arises in the context of alleged violations of Orders of Protection. An Order of Protection is often issued by a Criminal or Family Court, and orders one person to refrain from contacting or being near a specific protected person or persons. In order to charge a person with violating an Order of Protection, the criminal complaint against that defendant must adequately allege the identity of the protected person, as well as what the defendant allegedly did that violated the terms of the Order of Protection. It may seem obvious that the prosecution must specify who the acts were committed against, and how they know that’s who it is, but a failure to make that allegation sufficiently was exactly the issue presented to the trial Court in People v. Pandiello, 54 Misc.3d 496 (NY Co. Crim Ct. 2016). This entry will address the significance of a protected party’s identity when prosecutors charge any one of New York Penal Law sections 215.50, 215.51 or 215.52.

January 7, 2018

New York “Sextortion” and Non-Consensual Pornography Crimes: Potential New York Penal Law Offenses Relating to “Revenge Porn”

by Jeremy Saland

It likely is neither an exaggeration nor overstatement. “Sextortion” and the circulation of sexual images by a malicious and ill-intentioned former spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend or other person is as emotionally devastating as it is overwhelmingly violative to the victim of such abuse. Unfortunately, New York State does not have any specific offenses tailored to these crimes in the Penal Law leaving both law enforcement and criminal lawyers and victim advocates in a difficult position when it comes to “revenge porn.” With any luck, however, this might change in the coming year. According to a December 21, 2017 press release by Governor Andrew Cuomo, it is his goal to end “sextortion” and the sharing of otherwise non-consensual pornography. While there may be some remedies to victims of these crimes in the New York Penal Law, the set of offenses proposed by the Governor gives law enforcement the tools to prosecute these acts throughout the State of New York. Although not yet codified, these potential crimes include: Unlawful Duplication of Sexual Images, Sexual Extortion in the Third Degree, Sexual Extortion in the Second Degree and Sexual Extortion in the First Degree.

December 28, 2017

Family Court “Crimes” and Offenses: Understanding NY Family Court Act Section 812

by Jeremy Saland

In the State of New York, if you commit a crime the police can arrest you and a local District Attorney can prosecute you for your alleged illegal conduct. For example, if you ball up your fists and intentionally take a swing at another person’s face, it is likely you would find yourself in front of a judge charged with Third Degree Assault if you gave that person a “shiner.” While not available to all complainants or victims, if you were the recipient of that drubbing and you have an intimate or domestic relationship with your attacker, you may pursue another means to hold your attacker accountable while providing yourself with security and safety going forward. In lieu of or in addition to the criminal justice system, New York’s Family Court Act may be your answer and enable you to obtain an order of protection or restraining order.

As a preliminary matter, and one you should consult with your New York order of protection lawyer or Family Court attorney, you must have a domestic relationship (“member of the same family or household”) ranging from current or former boyfriend or girlfriend to sibling or spouse. Assuming the New York Family Court has jurisdiction over your matter, as a petitioner (similar to a complainant), you can file a petition for an order of protection by setting forth violations of Section 812 of the New York Family Court Act. This section sets forth the offenses, aka, crimes, your lawyer will use as the foundation of your petition. With this in mind, what are the offenses listed in Family Court Act 812 and how to they compare to their brethren offenses in the New York Penal Law?

December 17, 2017

Am I Eligible to Receive an Order of Protection or Restraining Order: Domestic and Same Family Definitions in NY Family Court

by Jeremy Saland

I need a restraining order. How do I get an order of protection? A simple question deserves a straightforward answer, but unfortunately, as your lawyer likely can attest to, the law is not always cooperative on that front. Certainly, if you are a victim of a crime and an order of protection is warranted, upon arrest and prosecution in New York, most judges will issue an order of protection. However, not all cases require the full force of the criminal justice system nor do complainants (you, the victim) want to pursue criminal charges. Enter the New York Family Court Act. The vehicle to secure an order of protection for those who are members of the same household or family, New York’s Family Court is where you would go to get a non-criminal order of protection.

Now that you know where you can go to get a restraining order in New York, the follow up question gets more complicated. Who can avail themselves of Family Court restraining order? The answer, if you noted above, are those petitioners (victims or complainants) who the court statutorily classifies as “members of the same household or family.”

December 4, 2017

Getting an Order of Protection and Fighting a Restraining Order in Westchester County Family Court

by Jeremy Saland

My former girlfriend won’t stop calling and harassing me. Can I get a Family Court order of protection? My ex-husband comes to my office and house without my permission. He is scaring me and I am afraid I will lose my job. Can I get a restraining order in Family Court or is my only choice to have him arrested? The short answer to these questions is if you live in Westchester County or the person harassing, threatening or stalking you resides or commits these or other violations of the New York Family Court act in White Plains, Yonkers, Somers, Bedford, Scarsdale, New Castle, Armonk, Yorktown, Bronxville or Irvington, to merely name a few Westchester towns and cities, you can file a petition in Family Court for an order of protection. While the process for the most part is the same whether you are requesting a restraining order in Rockland Family Court, Putnam County Family Court, NYC Family Court or Westchester County Family Court, any request for an order of protection starts in the Westchester County Family Court located in White Plains.

Whether you are a petitioner (complainant) or a respondent (defendant), you should understand the law and how it is applied in Family Court. Remember, while the criminal courts are obviously criminal, Family Court is a civil forum and pursuing your rights in court does not preclude you from doing the same in the other. Merely a brief explanation regarding process and procedure, this blog nonetheless is valuable to both petitioners and respondents with pending actions for restraining orders in Westchester County.

March 6, 2017

New York Domestic Violence Third Degree Assault Dismissed: Order of Protection Removed

by Jeremy Saland

There are few worse things than being accused of a crime you did not commit. Even more upsetting is if the crime you are arrested for in New York involves an accusation of Domestic Violence, Assault and Child Endangerment. Sadly, when marriages go south and divorces get nasty, criminal lawyers see the ugly side of false claims, unnecessary arrests and orders of protections that are used not because they are genuinely needed, but one spouse wants to manipulate the system for his or her own gain.

Unfortunately for a recent client of the New York criminal lawyer at Saland Law PC, the above scenario played out where her spouse accused her of Third Degree Assault, NY PL 120.00, in front of their children. Not only was she charged with PL 120.00, but because the children were allegedly present she was also arrested for Endangering the Welfare of a Child, NY PL 260.10. Compounding matters well beyond these two class “A” misdemeanors, the court issued an order of protection in favor of her husband and children despite the fact that although unknown to the District Attorney’s Office at the time, the complainant fabricated the incident.

February 14, 2017

How do I get an Order of Protection and Restraining Order in Rockland County: Rockland County Family Court in New City

by Jeremy Saland

The names and places may be interchangeable, but the questions regarding how to get a Family Court order of protection or restraining order in Rockland County, New York all come down to the same thing. I need a restraining order against my ex-husband in New City, what is a petition? Where do I get a restraining order against a former girlfriend if I live in Nyack? I moved from Orangeburg to Nanuet, how do I get either a restraining order or an order of protection if I still reside in Rockland County, but my ex-boyfriend lives in Westchester County?

Assuming you reside in Rockland County or incidents transpired in Rockland County that violate the New York State Family Court Act (generally certain crimes found in the New York Penal Law), a victim of certain otherwise criminal acts can file a petition in Rockland Family Court requesting that a Family Court Judge issue a temporary order of protection in your favor and against a family member. These family members can include a current or former spouse, boyfriend or other person with whom you have had an intimate relationship. Additionally, the other party can be of the same sex, a cousin or parent as well as any other immediate relation.

May 19, 2016

Blackmail, Extortion, Harassment, Hacking, Stalking & Other Victimization: Options to Protect Yourself Both Inside and Outside the Criminal Justice System

by Jeremy Saland

New York Blackmail and Extortion comes in different “flavors” and “sizes”. These cases are often as unique as the circumstances, victims and perpetrators. Often, when there is an extortion, threat of embarrassment, demand for money or mere harassment, a victim is hesitant to go to the police even when the law is clearly on his or her side. Similarly, there are situations where the harassment, emails, calls, threats, demands, stalking or other conduct may actually skirt violating the New York Penal Law. Call the police anyway? Risk your business, name or family relationships? Are there other options that can potentially put an end to this misery? Simply, when does a victimizer’s actions violate the New York Penal Law and what if anything should, or can, you do?

This blog entry will not serve as a substitute for an in depth analysis of your particular case. In fact, it in no way will address your case but instead identify potential issues and how you can take control of a situation that may derail your life if you let it fester and grow.

October 4, 2015

NY Criminal Contempt: Can You Violate an Order of Protection Even if You Do Not Enter the Protected Premises Specified in the Restraining Order

by Jeremy Saland

New York Penal Law 215.50, Second Degree Criminal Contempt, is a crime that prosecutors are quick to charge and often for good cause. However, regardless of the subjective view of an Assistant District Attorney or a police officer with the NYPD or any police department outside New York City, cases must still be proven beyond a reasonable doubt whether you’re in Westchester, Rockland or Gotham. At earlier stages of litigation, the accusatory information – the complaint – must be legally sufficient or your case should not “pass go.” Therefore, mere allegations must be supported by some form of evidence or alleged facts. Tying this back to Second Degree Contempt, an “A” misdemeanor punishable by as much as one year in the county jail (can you say “Rikers Island?!”), the four corners of the accusatory instrument must legally support that there was a valid order of protection, the parameters of that order and how you violated the order. In a recent case out of White Plains, New York, the a court rendered a decision giving a broad interpretation of an order of protection and a defendant’s conduct that is worth reviewing and directly on point with the title of this blog entry.