What are my rights if I am stopped, searched, or arrested by police?

We get asked this question often. In New York State, your basic rights when stopped, searched, or arrested are as follows:

• You have the right to ask why you have been stopped.Syracuse Criminal DWI Attorney David Zukher
• The police may ask you to step out of your vehicle if you are stopped in a car.
• The police may “pat-down” your clothing for their protection if they suspect you are carrying a concealed weapon, but you have the right to refuse any additional search.
• If you are in police custody and are not free to leave the police must tell you that you have the right to remain silent and the right to talk to a lawyer before they question you.

You do not have to answer any questions without an attorney present. If you are in the Syracuse area, and have been arrested and charged with a crime, don’t hesitate to contact our office- call us at 315-701-2939 or CONTACT US ONLINE

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New York Gun Laws

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…Then they searched me. Can they DO that? What about probable cause?
What is probable cause?

What you should know about search and seizure

When the government obtains evidence against a defendant in violation of her/his constitutional rights, that evidence may be suppressed, and therefore not introduced at trial by the prosecution. This rule is derived from the US Constitution. The defendant in such a situation is entitled to a pretrial suppression hearing. At the hearing, the defendant will generally not testify, only the police officers will give testimony. A person is not generally entitled to a pretrial suppression hearing regarding admissibility of evidence. A hearing may be granted by the court after a showing by the defendant that a constitutional violation of a defendant’s search and seizure rights took place.

There are endless scenarios with regard to the application of the search and seizure analysis. The analysis is different and can change based on the smallest facts individual to your case. If you are charged with a crime, you must immediately seek the advice of an experienced attorney who works everyday to help people protect their rights to ensure the most favorable outcome possible in your case.

Among the types of evidence that a prosecutor may offer against a defendant at trial are tangible (such as drugs seized), observations of police officers, identifications by witnesses, and statements or confessions obtained from the defendant. Each of these may be subject to suppression if improperly obtained by the police. When evidence was arguably obtained in an unconstitutional manner, the defense recourse is to move to suppress. The object of the motion is to suppress the evidence (exclude its admission at trial). If the prosecution disputes the defense assertion, a suppression hearing is held.

There are four levels of permissible police intrusion, and each has it’s own requirement to determine whether the police intrusion is justified. Level I, is the least intrusive level, and is called a “request for information.” This level requires an objective and credible reason for the police to approach an individual that is not necessarily indicative of criminality. Questions permissible at this level include identity, address or destination.

A Level II inquiry is referred to as the “common law right of inquiry.” In order for the police to intrude at this level, founded suspicion that criminal activity is afoot is required. At this level, an officer is entitled to interfere with the citizen to the extent necessary to gain explanatory information, but may not forcibly seize the individual. This type of questioning would lead the person approached to reasonably believe that he or she is suspected of some wrongdoing and is the focus of the approaching officer’s investigation.

A Level III, detainment and frisk, requires the police to have reasonable suspicion that criminal activity has or will be committed. The police may forcibly pursue and/or stop and detain an individual, that is, significantly impede that person’s freedom of movement. Reasonable suspicion is defined as that amount of knowledge sufficient to cause an ordinarily prudent and cautious person to believe, under the circumstances, that criminal activity is at hand.

Lastly, a Level IV, warrantless arrest, is the highest level of police intrusion. This can only be done when there is “probable cause” to believe that the person has committed a crime, even if the crime was not committed in the officer’s presence.

If you should have any questions about a particular matter and your charges are in Onondaga, Oneida, Madison, or Jefferson County, don’t hesitate to call us at 315-701-2939 or CONTACT US ONLINE

See related articles:

What are my rights if I am stopped, searched, or arrested by police?

Do I have to take a breathalyzer test if the police ask me to?

What is Drug Court and could it help me?

Drugs in a car are Everyones Drugs- The Automobile Presumption

NY Room Presumption- Guns and Drugs belong to everyone

 

Can the Police Legally Search Your Butt After a Routine Stop for a Traffic Ticket?

Can the Police Legally Search Your Butt After a Routine Stop for a Traffic Ticket?

2011 04 11 - 7662 - Washington DC - DC Rights Protest
thisisbossi / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

On August 5, 2013, a Syracuse police officer stopped a man for a traffic violation when he allegedly failed to use a turn signal.  After noticing him wiggling around in his seat, the police allegedly saw crack cocaine on the man’s seat.  When the man was brought to the Justice Center and a body search was conducted, the police allegedly found crack cocaine hidden in his buttocks.  The man was charged with drug possession third and fourth degree felonies and a drug possession in the seventh degree misdemeanor.

Did the police have the right to search the man’s butt when he was only stopped for a traffic ticket?  As with every drug case, the key issue is whether the police seizure was lawful or did the police violate the man’s search and seizure rights.  The answer requires a lawyer to analyze the legality of the search and seizure had under the federal (Fourth Amendment) and New York constitutions.  As a general rule, when a car is stopped for a traffic infraction, the police may not search absent additional grounds to believe that a crime has been committed.  The police can order the driver or passenger out of the car during a traffic stop and, if the police observe contraband in plain view, they can search the entire car, along with its occupants.  Another permissible reason for the police to search a car is when the police smell marijuana in the vehicle.

Although there are many valid reasons for the police to search a car and its occupants, the police often conduct car searches based on illegal reasons.  Just some examples are:  (1) the car is in a “high crime area;” (2) furtive movements of the car’s occupants, like “wiggling” or moving your hands; (3) the occupants giving different stories as to their travels; and (4) asking the occupants if the car contains “anything illegal they should know about” without observing any facts of a crime.

If the police conduct an illegal search, and the proper suppression motions are brought by your attorney, all property illegally seized will be suppressed and may not be used as evidence against you at trial.  In certain instances, suppression from an illegal search may extend to your statements or confession, which may be suppressed as the “fruit” of the illegal search or “poisonous tree.”

Can the police search your butt after a traffic stop?  The legal answer often depends on the skill and ability of your attorney to conduct a proper and detailed analysis of your case under the applicable search and seizure law.  The attorneys at Weisberg & Zukher, PLLC. have more than a decade of trial and motion experience with search and seizure issues.  If you are charged with a drug crime, our knowledge of search and seizure law will make all the difference in your case, to obtain the best result possible for you.

Call Weisberg & Zukher, PLLC. at 315-701-2939 for a free consultation or send us an e-mail to tell us about your case at bestsyracuselawyer.com.  O

This Blog/Web Site is made available by the publisher for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this blog site you understand that there is no attorney client relationship between you and the Blog/Web Site publisher. The Blog/Web Site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.

New York Gun Laws

New York Gun Laws

syracuse-lawyers-ny-gun-laws
simonov / Foter.com / CC BY

On January 15, 2103, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the “NY Safe Act” which bans semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and pistols purchased after Jan. 15, 2013 that have more than one prohibited feature – such as a pistol grip, a folding stock or a flash suppressor. This is the state’s new definition of an assault weapon. The ban does not cover pistol grip shotguns. New York will define a large capacity magazine as any that holds more than seven rounds, down from 10. Anyone owning a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds will be required to sell it out-of-state within one year.

Semi-automatic weapons bought before January 15, 2013 must be registered with the New York State Police Department within one year, the registration of the weapon will trigger a background check of the registrant.

High-volume ammunition purposes will be tracked in real time

The penalties for crimes involving gun laws have also become harsher:

Killing a first responder responding to an emergency a first-degree murder charge.
A mandatory five-year minimum prison sentence will be imposed for anyone who uses a loaded firearm during a drug sale or violent felony.

A mandatory three-and-a-half year minimum prison sentence for using an unloaded gun during any drug sale or violent felony.

“Straw purchasers,” people who can easily pass a background check who buy guns for others will be upgraded from a misdemeanor to a Class D felony.

IT IS A FELONY TO POSSES A GUN ON SCHOOL GROUNDS OR A SCHOOL BUS.

Charges are upgraded for those who use community or shared guns to commit crimes.

The new law will now require mental health providers to report those that pose a danger to themselves or others to the County, which in turn reports to the NY Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Other gun control issues including storage of weapons, sale of firearms currently in your possession, sale of ammunition, Kendra’s law, and background checks are affected by the new law. We would encourage you to visit The NY GOVERNORS WEBSITE for more detailed information about the 39-page law and its implications.

As always, it is imperative that if you are charged with a weapons crime in NY State, that you immediately seek the advice of competant legal counsel experienced in gun and weapons defense. If you should have any questions about a particular matter and your charges are in Onondaga, Oneida, Madison, or Jefferson County, don’t hesitate to call us at 315-701-2939 or find us on the web at bestsyracuselawyers.com for a free initial consultation.

See related articles:

How do I remove a criminal charge from my record?

Drugs in a car are Everyones Drugs- The Automobile Presumption

Felony and Guns

What is Harassment?

NY Room Presumption- Guns and Drugs belong to everyone

This Blog/Web Site is made available by the publisher for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this blog site you understand that there is no attorney client relationship between you and the Blog/Web Site publisher. The Blog/Web Site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.