Trusted Legal Help For High-Stakes Criminal Cases

While any criminal charge can have a huge impact on your life, the consequences of violent crime offenses tend to be especially severe. You need a lawyer you can trust to fight for your legal rights and protect your future.

When the stakes are high, turn to the Law Offices of Richman Hill & Associates, PLLC, for help. We represent every level of criminal offenses at both the state and federal levels, including high-profile cases. Our attorneys each have over 30 years of experience practicing law, most of which has been defending the people of the Bronx and surrounding areas of New York City.

Defining Violent Offenses

The term “violent crime” can include many different types of criminal offenses, from low-level assault to murder. In general, a violent crime is any offense that includes bodily injury to another person or threatens to do so. Examples include:

• Assault – Assault can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the seriousness of the situation. This can include assault with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, the highest level assault charge.
• Domestic violence – Assault that involves family members or former or current romantic partners can affect everything from the custody of your children to your right to possess a firearm.
• Sex crimes – These can include rape, child pornography, child sex abuse and exposure, amongst other offenses. Allegations of a sex crime can ruin your reputation and a conviction could place you on a sex offender registry.

These general categories are only a few examples of violent crimes. No matter what charges you face, speaking with a lawyer as soon as possible should be your top priority.

A Serious And Strategic Defense For Homicide Charges

Any criminal charge that involves the death of another person requires swift, strategic legal action. Different types of homicide charges in New York include:

• Criminally negligent homicide – This can include a death resulting from careless or reckless action on your part, even if you had no intention of killing the person.
• Manslaughter – You can be charged with either voluntary or involuntary manslaughter, depending on whether you intended to injure or kill the other person. Either way, you did not plan the action ahead of time, known as premeditation.
• Murder – When you plan in advance to kill or injure someone and it results in their death, you can face premeditated murder in the first degree.

The sooner you contact our office, the sooner we can intervene in your case and begin building a strategic defense. We will start defending you on day one.

New York-Specific Violent Crime Laws & Penalties

New York Penal Law defines violent felony offenses with mandatory minimum sentencing requirements. Class B violent felonies carry terms of at least five years and cannot exceed 25 years.

Assault Charges

New York categorizes assault offenses into three degrees, each carrying distinct penalties:

• 3rd Degree (Penal Law 120.00), “A”, carrying a maximum penalty of one year in county jail
• 2nd Degree: “D” violent felony with presumptive mandatory two years up to seven years in state prison
• 1st Degree: “B” carrying a minimum sentence of five years up to of 25 years in a state prison

Each assault degree requires specific intent and circumstances, making careful legal analysis essential for building an effective defense strategy.

Robbery Charges

Robbery penalties in New York escalate significantly based on the degree of the offense:

• 3rd Degree (Penal Law 160.05): Class “D” with no mandatory minimum for first-time offenders, up to seven years imprisonment
• 2nd Degree (Penal Law 160.10): “C” violent felony carrying 3.5-year minimum and maximum of 15 years
• 1st Degree (Penal Law 160.15): Class “B” violent offense facing up to 25 years with five-year minimum

Manslaughter in the First Degree (Penal Law 125.20)

This carries a determinate sentence ranging from five to 25 years in state prison. These convictions could impact immigration status, professional licensing and employment opportunities.

Defense Strategies

Effective defense against violent crime charges involves examining multiple strategic approaches:

Self-defense claims under New York Penal Law 35.15 require reasonable belief that physical force is necessary to defend against imminent illegal use of force.

Innocence defenses include alibi evidence establishing you were at a different location, supported by eyewitness accounts, security footage or receipts.

Expert witnesses familiar with specific scenarios, including mental health professionals for insanity defenses.

Constitutional violations during investigation or arrest may result in evidence suppression under Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendment protections.

Additional factors include witness credibility issues, prosecutorial misconduct, chain of custody problems, and mitigating circumstances that could reduce charges or sentencing.

Record Sealing/Expungement

New York has no laws to “expunge” criminal records except for some marijuana crimes. Violent felonies cannot be sealed under New York law. Class A felonies and violent felonies are specifically excluded from sealing eligibility.

For nonviolent crimes, courts can seal certain convictions if you have no more than two misdemeanors or one felony and one misdemeanor conviction and have been crime-free for 10 years.

New York’s “Clean Slate” legislation will automatically seal most records three years after serving time for misdemeanors and eight years for felonies, but violent crimes remain ineligible.

Those with violent crime convictions can obtain a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities or Certificate of Good Conduct to lift certain employment and licensing restrictions, though convictions remain public record.

Violent crime charges represent serious allegations requiring thorough legal analysis and strategic defense planning to protect rights and achieve favorable resolutions.

Find Out How We Can Help

Our well-known and well-respected team has earned a reputation for winning. We believe that is because we take the time to listen to our clients and build each case around what is important to them.

Find out how we can help you by reaching out to our firm to schedule an appointment. You can contact us online or call our office at 929-730-7698.