Brooklyn Criminal Defense Lawyer

Brooklyn Criminal Defense Attorney

Criminal charges and the related penalties are a serious matter and could cause tremendous issues for you in almost every aspect of your life. It can feel overwhelming and like you don’t stand much of a chance, but there are significant protections for you that can be exercised throughout the legal process. It is vital to enlist the support of a Brooklyn criminal defense lawyer to defend your legal rights and protect you against the accusations you face.

At Greco Neyland, our team of NY criminal defense lawyers has years of experience representing our clients and advocating for them aggressively in the courtroom. We handle a wide variety of criminal charges and are committed to presenting a formidable defense for every case.

What Are Some of the Most Common Crimes in Brooklyn?

Criminal law is a collection of statutes that describe activities that are prohibited by the government, and participation in them is considered to be a threat and danger to society. In many cases, they involve harm to other people or their property.

Criminal law covers a broad range from misdemeanors to felonies. Everything from petty theft and some traffic violations all the way up to assault, fraud, and murder all fall under the banner of criminal law.

Some of the more common criminal charges that occur in Brooklyn include:

• Vandalism – Damaging or destroying someone’s property willfully
• Burglary – Entering a home or building without permission and for the purpose of committing theft
• Robbery – Theft that is paired with some kind of threat, intimidation, or force
• Grand Larceny – Theft where the property has a high level of value
• Drug Crimes – Possession, selling, or distributing controlled substances
• Gang Activities – Drug trade crimes, intimidation, or violent crimes related to gang activity
• Assault – Reckless or intentional physical harm of someone else

What Are the Consequences of a Criminal Conviction in Brooklyn?

Even for a “minor” crime, a criminal conviction can result in some serious consequences that could have potentially life-long repercussions. There are really two categories of effects that come from a criminal conviction. One of these is the court-issued penalties for the crime. This is what most people tend to think of when they consider the consequences. There are also a set of consequences that extend beyond the legal realm into other aspects of someone’s life, largely as a result of having a criminal record.

The penalties that a court could hand down in a criminal claim can vary. Generally, in the case of a misdemeanor, the penalties will be lighter and not necessarily include jail time. However, if the charges are a felony crime, then there will likely be some kind of prison sentence and stiffer penalties.

The penalties for repeat offenders will also likely be more significant than those for first-time convictions.

Your Brooklyn criminal defense lawyer can help you understand the potential penalties for any charges that you face, and some of the possible penalties include:

• Prison – The duration of a sentence in a state prison or a county jail can be days to decades or potentially life, depending on the severity of the crime and surrounding factors.
• Fines – For many crimes, a monetary penalty is included.
• Restitution – If the crime caused someone else to suffer losses, the court may order the convicted to pay restitution for those losses.
• Probation – For misdemeanors, particularly for first-time offenders, there is the possibility that probation may be offered instead of jail time. This involves a series of restrictions on what you can do and what activities you can participate in, such as drinking alcohol or owning firearms, along with regular check-ins with a probation officer.
• Community Service – The court may order a certain number of hours of community work to be done as a form of punishment.
• Counseling or Classes – The court may choose to require substance abuse treatment, rehabilitation, or anger management classes if any of those things were a factor in a conviction.

While the penalties that the court orders are serious and should be concerning enough, it’s important to realize some of the issues that extend beyond that. These are issues that will largely arise because criminal convictions, even misdemeanors, result in a criminal record that will appear on background checks.

This can cause problems in a number of different areas, including:

• Employment – Whether fair or not, employers may be more hesitant to hire someone with a criminal background, particularly for repeat offenders.
• Career Licenses – There are several different career certifications and licenses for which a criminal background is an automatic disqualification. There are others where it may not be automatic but can be nearly impossible to overcome. This can limit your potential career choices following a conviction.
• Education – If you are trying to get into college or other education programs, it can be difficult with a criminal background.
• Student Loans – Many student loan programs will not lend to someone with a criminal background, so even those who get accepted to a college will have trouble getting adequate funding.
• Credit – Similarly to student loans, many creditors view a criminal background as an indication of a high risk because of repeat offenses. This can make it challenging for those with a criminal background to get a variety of loans.
• Social Life – There’s a stigma around a criminal conviction that is unavoidable in society. A criminal background can end up limiting friendships and even causing rifts with family members.

What Does a Brooklyn Criminal Defense Lawyer Do?

In short, a criminal defense lawyer is responsible for protecting their client’s rights and ensuring that they are properly defended against criminal charges.

It’s important to recognize that there are a number of rights that those accused or who are being investigated for a crime have. It’s the job of a Brooklyn criminal defense lawyer to argue that these rights need to be respected and that any failure to honor these rights is grounds for the dismissal of evidence gathered through those violations and possibly a dismissal of the charges altogether.

It’s our job to help protect your rights. Those rights start with your right to remain silent. It’s crucial to refrain from speaking to a police officer until you talk with an attorney. We will be there to help protect you from other forms of self-incrimination and protect your right to a fair trial.

Even if you are being investigated for a crime and haven’t been charged yet, it can be important to contact a Brooklyn criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible, as we can help argue against things like unlawful and warrantless searches.

If you are charged with a crime, your criminal defense lawyer will need to conduct their own investigation of the alleged crime and circumstances behind your arrest. The purpose of this investigation is to gather facts and evidence that can help defend you. Depending on the specifics of your case, it could involve looking at photo and video evidence, subpoenaing documents and information as necessary, or speaking with witnesses.

Using the findings of the investigation, we are responsible for preparing a robust strategy for defense against the charges. Often, this will involve anticipating what tools the prosecution will likely use to make the case against you. We will need to identify the weaknesses in their case and the ways we can emphasize those elements for the jury and court to recognize that there is reasonable doubt.

Before the trial begins, there may be an offer of a plea deal. Depending on the specific situation and the evidence against you, there may be some situations where considering a plea is a reasonable thing. Sometimes, a plea can be beneficial in lowering prison time or receiving a lighter sentence than if the case goes to court. It’s our job to try and negotiate for the greatest plea offer that we can get in that case.

Many times, though, a case will go to trial. It’s a criminal defense lawyer’s job to represent their clients through this process and advocate for them every step of the way. We often begin before the trial even begins with motions for dismissal if there are reasonable grounds, along with challenging any evidence that wasn’t collected properly or should be ineligible for other reasons.

In court, we make your defense by both reactively defending against the prosecution’s claims and proactively putting forth an argument for why a conviction shouldn’t occur. However, if the evidence against you is too much to overcome, we make the case for lighter sentencing on your behalf.

Greco Neyland: Your Trusted Brooklyn Criminal Defense Lawyer

Facing criminal charges can be a stressful and overwhelming situation. It’s easy to lose hope and feel like the whole system is geared against you. However, it’s important to realize that you have rights that must be honored, and the burden of proof is on the prosecution to show that you deserve to face penalties and punishments. What you deserve is an aggressive and confident defense and every chance to avoid those penalties with a team that is on your side.

Your strongest chance will come from working with a Brooklyn criminal defense lawyer like Greco Neyland. We make sure that our clients’ rights are protected and that a strong defense is made on their behalf. Contact us today, and we can set up a consultation to discuss your case.