Imagine serving decades in prison for a crime you did not commit. That is what happened to a man in Buffalo, New York, who was imprisoned for over 20 years on a wrongful conviction for robbery and murder. A Rochester federal jury recently awarded him $28 million in a civil trial. The case has been…

The New York Court of Appeals addressed the validity of a shock incarceration waiver in People v. Santos, a case involving a negotiated plea agreement and the accused’s attempt to challenge part of the sentencing terms. The ruling clarifies how waivers related to alternative incarceration programs factor into plea agreements and whether they constitute a…

The New York Court of Appeals addressed the legal sufficiency of evidence in burglary convictions, ruling in People v Williams that the jury’s verdict was supported by a valid line of reasoning and permissible inferences. This case highlights how courts evaluate burglary charges, particularly when intent is inferred from circumstantial evidence, surveillance footage, and witness…

A bill recently introduced in the New York legislature would allow misdemeanor charges for anyone who wears a mask with the intent to harass, threaten, or intimidate others.  Proponents of the new law seek to make it easier to identify those who intend to commit intimidation, threaten, or harass others. Critics ask whether such a…