Legal Information Center

A recent article in CNN declared that 60% of the cigarettes sold in New York had been smuggled in from out of state so as to avoid the onerous New York state cigarette taxes. This is somewhat unsurprising, given that New York state imposes a $4.35 tax per pack, and New York City an additional…

Today, a federal judge in Manhattan handed down an important ruling by declaring unconstitutional the NYPD’s “Trespass Affidavit Program” for private residential buildings in New York City. This program was also referred to by the Department as “Operation Clean Halls”. The judge declared that the program and the Department’s policy and lax training essentially caused…

Today, a ferry traveling from New Jersey to Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan and carrying 326 passengers (as well as 5 crew members) crashed into the pier at a high rate of speed causing numerous injuries. As of the time of this post, two passengers were listed as being in critical condition. This particular boat,…

Our client was charged with burglary and grand larceny (felonies) for allegedly stealing materials from a worksite. We analyzed the evidence against him and advised our client to testify in the grand jury. The grand jury was convinced of his innocence and the case was dismissed shortly after he testified.

Despite the improvements in drug-detecting technology and processes – as well as the steep criminal penalties for those caught importing drugs into the United States – the drug smuggling business still remains lucrative enough to cause many people to attempt to import drugs through commercial airline flights. When smugglers are caught, however, the cases can…

Matthew Galluzzo – an expert in sex-crimes related litigation – was interviewed by the Associated Press for his opinion on the settlement of the civil rape case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The article and his quote appeared in numerous news outlets, including the New York Post.

A conviction for a New York state felony is very serious and can involve lengthy sentences of probation or even incarceration. However, what many people do not realize is that a felony conviction can also greatly increase the possible sentence a person can receive on a subsequent felony conviction, especially so when the prior conviction…

Today, the attorneys at The Law Office of Matthew Galluzzo successfully obtained a dismissal of all criminal charges for our client, a professional man working at a high-level job in Manhattan. Charged with a misdemeanor sex crime and facing a potential jail sentence, the client was dissatisfied with his representation by an expensive attorney at…

The most serious crimes in New York state law are classified as Class A-I felonies; one of these Class A-I felonies is Murder in the First Degree, Penal Law Section 125.27. The majority of homicides in New York are prosecuted pursuant to Penal Law Section 125.25 (Murder in the Second Degree). However, especially violent and…

First-time offenders arrested for shoplifting at large department stores in New York (such as Sak’s Fifth Avenue, Century 21, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, or Uniqlo) typically receive Desk Appearance Tickets, or DATS, from the police. (For more on shoplifting and petit larceny arrests, click here and here.). However, many shoplifting defendants also soon receive letters from lawyers…