Police are, of course, allowed to pull you over if you are breaking a traffic law, such as speeding, driving with a broken taillight, or running a stop sign. They may have a hidden motive for pulling you over, but as long as they have some reasonable legitimate reason for believing you were violating a [...]

The criminal justice process officially starts when a police officer places a person under arrest, which means they are taken into police custody. There are usually three instances in which a police officer can make an arrest. First, if a police officer observes a crime, the individual can be arrested. For example, an officer may [...]

Parole is a way of finishing a term of incarceration. Probation is a criminal sentence that must be completed under a set of rules. A person who is given a sentence of probation is also given a prison or jail sentence that will be suspended as long as the individual follow the rules of the [...]

Many individuals faced with criminal charges may be guilty or may believe that the evidence against them is so strong they shouldn’t bother hiring an attorney. They may feel that pleading guilty and facing the punishment will be the quickest way to put the process behind them. However, an individual accused of a crime should [...]

The New York State Sex Offender Registration Act took effect in 1996. Beginning at that time, anyone who was on parole or probation or incarcerated for a sex offense was required to register as a sex offender. A list of New York sex offenders is available to the public. The length of time an individual [...]