Criminal Records Lead to Ongoing Scrutiny by Law Enforcement

Law enforcement agencies in New York typically keep released, convicted criminals on their radar. This often leads to new arrests of the same people committing additional crimes. The case of a New York man shows how the system monitors released inmates.

According to Department of Corrections and Community Supervision records, the 25-year-old man had been paroled in November 2013 after serving time for shooting and wounding two women. Afterward, a parole warrant operation performed by police resulted in his arrest on drug charges.

Police reported that a search of the man’s 2000 Hyundai Elantra revealed 23 plastic bags containing a substance believed to be crack cocaine. The district attorney said he now faces felony and misdemeanor charges for possession of a controlled substance. State court records posted online stated that he was placed in jail after being arraigned in Stapleton Criminal Court. His bail was set at $5,000.

Because a criminal record can cause a person to live with increased attention from law enforcement, a person charged with a crime may have a strong interest in defending themselves from a conviction. A person charged with a crime has a right to seek legal representation. Someone confronted by drug charges in particular might benefit from a consultation with an attorney.

An attorney could help the person make decisions about how to plea in court or even assist in negotiations for a plea bargain. A deal made with a prosecutor might result in reduced charges and a lighter sentence. In some situations when evidence is open to challenge, an attorney might even get charges dropped entirely and thereby protect the person from a criminal conviction.

Categories