The New York Criminal Law Blog

Other Misdemeanors in New York

Misdemeanors differ from felonies in that they are punishable by a jail sentence of more than 15 days, but not more than one year. Most misdemeanors are not of a violent nature but can include crimes such as assault and battery. Examples of crimes that are often treated as misdemeanors include harassment and criminal mischief. New York has two classes of misdemeanors. Class A is punishable by up to one year in jail, while Class B is carries a ninety-day maximum jail sentence.

Sometimes misdemeanors can either be bumped down to an infraction or be upgraded to a felony, so it helps to know the law and be prepared when faced with such charges. But the best defense strategy includes the services of a skilled New York criminal defense attorney.


Recently in Other Misdemeanors Category

Alleged Harlem Flasher Has Job Working with Youth

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Andrew McFall was arrested for exposing himself to a young girl as she walked to school in Harlem. The 41-year-old McFall allegedly followed the 11-year-old girl down West 120th Street and shouted profanities at her before opening up his trench coat and exposing himself.

What makes this story even worse? The alleged Harlem flasher works at the city's Department of Youth and Community Development and was previously an executive at the Boys and Girls Club, reports the New York Post.

Bronx DA Arrested for DUI

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A Bronx assistant district attorney was arrested for a DUI early one morning last week.

The assistant DA, Rafael Urena, was pulled over at a routine DUI checkpoint set up between First and Second Avenues in Manhattan. The 26-year-old Urena was barely above the legal limit, blowing a 0.081 on a Breathalyzer. When asked if he knew how the Breathalyzer device worked, the young attorney allegedly responded, “Yeah, I know what it is; I’m a Bronx assistant district attorney,” reports the New York Post.

In the vein of the X Games, pro skateboarder Jerome Rogers takes everything to the extreme. And so, it is being reported that Jerome Rogers was arrested at a Manhattan hotel following an apparent drug fueled naked rampage.

Last week at the Shelburne hotel in Manhattan, the California-based skateboarder is said to have gone berserk, in the buff, reports the New York Post. The heavily tattooed 26-year-old Rogers was caught in the nude, smashing paintings in the hotel's hallway. At the time of his rampage, Rogers was allegedly yelling about how he was the son of God, leading some to believe he was under the influence of drugs.

Top Manhattan Principal Darlene Miller Busted for DUI

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Darlene Miller, principal of the NYC Museum School in Chelsea, is facing drunk driving charges after allegedly plowing her Hyundai into a stopped police cruiser.

The principal of the top-performing high school reportedly just missed hitting a cop, who had pulled over to stop another vehicle in Rockland County, says the New York Post. After her arrest, Miller refused to submit to a blood alcohol test and she now faces a court hearing on January 9.

Drunk Cop Drives 8 Miles Wrong Way on LI Freeway

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An allegedly drunk NYPD cop Candice Smith amazingly drove eight miles the wrong way down a Long Island highway without causing an accident. The off-duty copy was stopped when a Good Samaritan blocked her path, and she was charged with a DUI after blowing a 0.17 on a Breathalyzer test.

Smith was allegedly driving south on the northbound lanes of the Sagtikos Parkway, reports the New York Post. The Good Samaritan, Eric Minkoff, drove on the opposite lane of the highway and ended up driving side by side with the drunk cop with the median between them.

NY Library President Pleads Guilty to DWI

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The New York Public Library president Anthony Marx may have used his library cataloguing skills to find himself a good NYC DUI Attorney. Faced with an aggravated DUI charge and possible one year prison term, the library president was able to get himself out of jail time completely and ended up only having to pay a nominal fine, reports the New York Post.

Last month, Marx was arrested as he drove a library-owned Audi in reverse into a parked truck on East Harlem. Debunking the myth that all library employees are bookworms who've never tasted alcohol, Marx tested for a blood alcohol level of 0.19, more than twice the legal limit in New York, reports the Post.

Tappen Zee Bridge Hanging: Mental Health Worker Loses It

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A former mental health worker for the Rockland County department of mental health apparently went a bit crazy, hanging himself off the Tappen Zee Bridge in a seeming protest over his firing. The worker, Michael Davitt, was not injured, but his stunt snarled traffic for miles and he now faces a bevy of criminal charges.

The 54-year-old Davitt underwent psychiatric evaluation, and if it is determined that the former mental health worker had mental health issues of his own, he may have an affirmative defense to the crimes he's been charged with.

License plate flipping appears to be the new way for toll evaders to avoid paying hefty tolls going to, and coming out of, New York City.

Big rig trucker, Edgar Malin, was recently busted for trying to duck a $65 toll by using an electronic device that flipped his license plate down as he crossed the George Washington Bridge, reports the New York Post. At the touch of a button, his license plate vanished.

Michael Lohan Would Get Arrested On-Sight in NYC

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No stranger to the prison system, Michael Lohan should be careful should he ever decide to set foot in New York City, Nassau County, or Suffolk County. Thanks to the Michael Lohan arrest warrant, the (in)famous dad would be arrested on sight should he set foot in any of these places.

The arrest warrant was issued last year over unpaid child support in Suffolk County, reports the New York Post. The warrant was issued in November 2010 after a Montana woman won an uncontested judgment for child support.

Attorney Smuggled Drugs to Cameron Douglas in Jail

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Serving time for his own drug conviction, Cameron Douglas, the son of actor Michael Douglas, testified in the trial of his alleged drug suppliers and also revealed tawdry tales of what he had with his defense attorney, Jennifer Ridha, while in jail.

Currently, Douglas is serving time in a Pennsylvania prison for a narcotics trafficking conviction, reports the New York Post. He was temporarily released to testify against David Escalera, who is accused of supplying Douglas with pounds of crystal meth between 2006 and 2009. During his four hours on the witness stand, Douglas described his own struggles with drugs and also the strange relationship that he had with Ridha during his trial and subsequent imprisonment.