The Eastchester Town Court hears civil cases, misdemeanor and traffic cases, as well as pre indictment felony matters. The Court is located at 40 Mill Road, Eastchester, NY 10709. The Court may be reached by telephone at (914) 771-3354. Criminal cases are heard on every Wednesday morning. As of this writing, two Judges presided in Eastchester Town Court: the Honorable Domenick Porco and the Honorable

This Article is the second in a series explaining how Westchester County, New York criminal defense attorneys defend individuals charged with Assault in the Westchester County Domestic Violence Part. In Part I of the Article, I provided an overview of the criminal charge of Assault in the Westchester County, New York Domestic Violence Court. This section of the Article will focus on the elements

This article is the first in a series explaining the process by which Westchester County criminal lawyers defend matters in the Westchester County Domestic Violence Part. The article will focus on misdemeanor and felony assault charges, one of the most common criminal charges that are defended in the Westchester County Domestic Violence ("DV") Court. Overview:The Westchester County Domestic Violence

You've been stopped by the police and suspected of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI). The police have now asked you to submit to a Chemical Test, usually a breathalyzer (blowing), urine or blood test to determine your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). You have refused to take the test, been arrested and arraigned in Court. What happens next? At arraignment,

I was recently retained by a person arrested in Manhattan at approximately 3:00AM Saturday morning.  As a New York criminal defense attorney, I am used to delays in producing clients for an arraignment.  But for the benefit of those of you not used to the delays, here is what to expect. New York County (Manhattan) experiences hundreds of arrests per day.  On the day in question, there were over

New York Criminal Defense Lawyer John Pettinella often represents clients who refuse to take a breath test or other chemical test in connection with a Driving While Intoxicated (VTL 1192.2, 1192.2a, or 1192.3 among others) or Driving While Ability Impaired (VTL 1192.1) charge. The machines often used are the Intoxilyzer in New York City or the DataMaster in Westchester County.The question clients often

The Yonkers City Court, Criminal Division, hears misdemeanor and pre-indictment felony cases originating within the City of Yonkers as well as moving violation and parking ticket matters.  The Court is located at: 100 South Broadway Yonkers, NY 10701The Court may be reached at: (914) 377-6326Yearly statistics show that Yonkers City Court is one of the busiest criminal courts in

A Desk Appearance Ticket is a directive or order issued by the police requiring the accused to appear in Criminal Court to answer a charge to be filed against the accused.  A Desk Appearance Ticket is sometimes referred to as a DAT or as an Appearance Ticket.  Technically speaking, Desk Appearance Tickets can be issued for Violations, such as disorderly conduct, Misdemeanor offenses, such

The White Plains City Court is located at 77 South Lexington Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601.  This Court handles misdemeanor criminal charges originating within the City of White Plains.  They also have jurisdiction to arraign defendants charged with felonies originating within the City of White Plains.  Additionally, the Court handles certain civil matters and traffic matters.  As

There are several Westchester Criminal Defense cases where the Court will order a TASC evaluation of a criminal defendant.  TASC stands for Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities and is a Westchester County sponsored program that provides primary assessment, monitoring and supervision in certain cases. Typically TASC will be assigned to defendants accused of DWI DUI, criminal possession

As a Westchester County and New York City criminal defense attorney, I receive many calls from prospective clients who have just received a traffic ticket and currently hold a Junior License.  The first question always is, "Can I lose my license as a result of this ticket?"New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law (VTL) Section 510 governs suspensions and revocations of certain class  DJ (commonly

In the first of our series highlighting local criminal courts, we focus on New Rochelle City Court. The New Rochelle City Court has jurisdiction over both civil and criminal cases originating within the City of New Rochelle. In the category of criminal law, the New Rochelle criminal court part hears misdemeanors and pre-indictment felonies, including drug possession, unlawful possession of marijuana,

DWI and DWAI are two of the most common charged offenses in New York affecting teens, baby-boomers, blue and white collar workers. The consequences of a DWI or DWAI conviction are far reaching and can range from a low fine and temporary driving suspension to extensive fines, a license revocation and jail time.  Recently enacted DWI and DWAI statutes can be confusing and accordingly, it is

Welcome to the New York Criminal Defense Blog hosted by the Law Offices of John P. Pettinella. We hope to provide a lively discussion of topics which impact our clients. In the coming months, articles will be posted discussing such matters as DWI/DWAI, Assault, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Gun and Weapons Charges, Gambling, Robbery and Larceny, and a host of other issues. If you