Posts by Jeff Greco

Did you know that your own home offers some protection from law enforcement? Many of the rights that make your home something of a “safe space” are enshrined in the Constitution. As with most constitutional rights, you must exercise them correctly to benefit from them. In addition, doing so does not necessarily prevent law enforcement…

You hear it on crime shows all the time. A defendant stares meaningfully at a law enforcement officer who is trying to get information from him. The defendant says: “I want immunity.” In TVland, the defendant almost always gets immunity, and the law enforcement officers charge off after the big fish bad guy. On television…

If prosecutors charge you under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) you face mandatory minimum sentences of at least 15 years in prison. The ACCA establishes a defendant as a career criminal if they have had three prior violent felony or serious drug offense convictions for crimes committed “on occasions different from one another.”  ACCA…

A license suspension is a serious business. While you might be tempted to ignore it and drive anyway, getting caught can have serious consequences.  You need to know here about driving on a suspended license in New York.  Why May a Driver’s License be Suspended There are five reasons why New York might suspend your…

Federal criminal cases don’t work the same way state criminal cases do. Target letters are a part of the federal criminal case process that is typically unfamiliar to most people. A target letter comes from the federal prosecutor. It lets you know that you’re a suspect in a federal criminal investigation. If you’re receiving a…

Recently, the federal government charged fourteen members of the New York gang known as the Double Nine Grim Reapers with RICO offenses, in addition to narcotics and firearms offenses. But what is a RICO charge? RICO stands for “racketeering influenced and corrupt organizations.” The term comes from the 1970 RICO Act. This act allows both…

People often speak of probation and parole as if they’re interchangeable, but they are two different things.  Serving probation is a sentence generally used as an alternative to jail time. There are also instances where probation and jail time are part of a sentence. Probation typically lasts one to three years.  Parole is a conditional…

Part of being a responsible gun owner is keeping careful track of your firearms and securing them properly. Most gun owners do exactly that, but even the most careful and conscientious firearms enthusiast can occasionally fall victim to theft. It is absolutely vital that you take the appropriate next steps if you are the victim…

Pretrial release is essential for defendants facing charges. Pretrial release allows defendants to contribute to their legal defense in ways that are impossible from behind bars.  Pretrial release works differently at the federal level than at the state level. The conditions of pretrial release are set by 18 U.S.C. §3142.  Here’s what you need to…

You may think that your conversations on Facebook, WhatsApp, and other messenger services are completely private. However, law enforcement can serve any messenger service with a search warrant to get those messages.  Most messenger apps are no more secure than email or SMS messages are in terms of keeping your conversations out of the hands…