Criminal Law: Defending Criminal Charges Successfully with Experience and Competence

Effective representation in a criminal investigation or prosecution requires not only knowledge of criminal statutes and rules, but experience with the offices and agencies that enforce them. Each crime is prosecuted and defended in a particular manner and style. Knowledge of applicable legal rules, as governed by case law, is essential. In addition, a proper defense requires a lawyer who knows how to cooperate effectively, how to mount a vigorous defense, and when to do one and not the other. We have represented various defendants, including ordinary folks, corporations, corporate executives, public officials, attorneys and others involving all sorts of criminal charges. We have the experience and skills to handle even the most complex of cases. Our attorneys include former prosecutors, former police officers and former law clerks all with the experience and skills suited to defending criminal charges and fully capable of providing the objective perspective of events a client needs.

Our attorneys and investigators work as a team to investigate the facts thoroughly and promptly to advise the client through every phase, including relations with the government, with witnesses, and with issues of publicity and public disclosures. We have had great success negotiating pleas and getting cases trial ready. In Putnam County, New York, we recently successfully defended a client against cruelty charges by exposing the corruption, self-interest and perjurious testimony of the chief investigating officer and persuading the judge that prosecution by a corrupt officer did not achieve justice. We have also successfully defended various clients at trial by winning pre-trial suppression motions and obtaining acquittals at trial.

Choosing the right counsel early in an investigation is essential and can reduce the risk of formal charges. The course of a criminal investigation and the charging decisions made are rarely inevitable. Our attorneys’ experience and credibility with government prosecutors has enabled us to reduce the damage and disruption caused by investigations and has allowed us to protect some clients from criminal charges or indictments where justice is best served by another result. Where we are unable to avoid a criminal charge or indictment, we have attorneys with the experience to give proper advice about the risks and benefits of pleading guilty or going to trial, and we have the skills necessary to negotiate a favorable plea or settlement or take the case to trial.

We also recognize that affording a complete defense does not necessarily terminate upon entry of a judgment of conviction. We utilize our investigative efforts and findings to prepare pre-plea memorandum and pre-sentence memorandum that accompany a defendant during his or her travels through the criminal justice system. Our attorneys work with probation officers and drug and alcohol counselors to achieve the best sentence possible. We handle juvenile offenders, youthful offenders and drug court defendants. Where a client faces likely jail or prison, we focus our efforts at achieving a sentence or program that meets our client’s needs and objectives while also striving to achieve the earliest release date possible. Our alternative, back-end efforts have proven successful for some of the most dire of client predicaments.

Contact Us

Please call our South Nyack Office at (845) 353-2000
for inquiries regarding our Criminal Law Practice,
or to arrange a consultation with one of our lawyers below:

Donald J. Feerick, Jr., Partner