New York City Felony Lawyer

A felony charge in New York is not a legal inconvenience. It is a direct threat to your freedom, your career, your housing options, and your future. The distance between a felony conviction and the rest of your life can collapse quickly once charges are filed, and the decisions made in the earliest stages of a case often determine everything that follows. This is not a situation where any competent counsel will do. The quality of representation you retain from day one shapes whether you walk away or spend years paying for a mistake that may have been prosecuted in bad faith, built on weak evidence, or capable of being defeated entirely.

New York felonies are divided into classes ranging from Class E, the least severe, through Class A, which carries the most serious mandatory penalties. Each class carries defined sentencing ranges, but the actual exposure a defendant faces depends on their criminal history, the specific charge, how the case was charged, and the jurisdiction prosecuting it. A Class B violent felony prosecuted in Supreme Court, Kings County, carries a very different procedural and strategic reality than a Class D non-violent felony in Manhattan. Understanding those distinctions, and knowing how to exploit them, is what separates skilled criminal defense from going through the motions.

For anyone facing a New York City felony lawyer search, the most important thing to know is this: the New York criminal justice system moves fast, the prosecution has enormous resources, and public defenders, however dedicated, carry caseloads that make individualized attention nearly impossible. If your case warrants serious attention, it requires counsel who can give it that.

The Anatomy of Felony Prosecutions in New York

New York felony cases follow a path that begins at arraignment and proceeds through grand jury proceedings, potential indictment, motion practice, and ultimately plea negotiations or trial. The indictment stage is where many defendants and their lawyers first lose ground. A grand jury proceeding is not a trial, but what happens there, what evidence is presented, whether a defendant testifies, and how the case is framed, affects the entire trajectory of the prosecution. In New York State, a defendant charged with a felony has the right to testify before the grand jury. Whether to exercise that right is one of the most consequential decisions in any felony case.

After indictment, cases in New York City’s Supreme Court move through preliminary hearings, suppression motions, and discovery under the state’s criminal procedure laws. Discovery reform in New York has significantly changed how quickly the prosecution must disclose evidence. That shift creates both opportunities and obligations for defense counsel. An attorney who knows how to move aggressively on discovery, identify deficiencies, and leverage the rules can change the shape of a case long before it ever reaches a jury.

The five boroughs each have their own Supreme Court, Criminal Term, which handles all felony matters. Manhattan cases are litigated in the Supreme Court, New York County, located at 100 Centre Street. Brooklyn cases proceed in the Supreme Court, Kings County, at 320 Jay Street. The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island each have their own corresponding Supreme Court locations. Each courthouse has its own culture, its own judges, and its own prosecution teams. Effective felony representation in New York City requires familiarity with all of them, not just familiarity with the law on paper.

Felony Charges Handled by a New York City Felony Attorney

• Homicide and Manslaughter: New York distinguishes between Murder in the First and Second Degree, Manslaughter in the First and Second Degree, and Criminally Negligent Homicide, each governed by distinct intent standards under the New York Penal Law. These are among the most aggressively prosecuted offenses in the five boroughs, and the investigation phase, before charges are even formally filed, is often where the defense must first engage.
• Assault and Weapons Charges: Felony assault in New York typically involves serious physical injury or the use of a dangerous instrument. Weapons possession charges are frequently added to assault prosecutions and carry their own mandatory minimum sentencing provisions. Defenses often turn on identity, self-defense claims, and whether the alleged weapon was legally possessed.
• Drug Trafficking and Felony Possession: New York’s drug laws draw distinctions based on substance type, quantity, and whether distribution is alleged. Federal prosecutors often pursue drug cases that originate in the five boroughs, meaning defendants can face prosecution in either state Supreme Court or the Southern or Eastern Districts of New York Federal Court.
• White-Collar and Financial Crimes: Grand larceny, securities fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and bribery charges are common in New York given the concentration of financial institutions and corporate activity. These cases are document-intensive and often involve parallel civil or regulatory investigations that require coordinated strategy.
• Sex Crimes: Rape, criminal sexual act, and sexual abuse charges carry not only significant prison exposure but mandatory sex offender registration consequences under the Sex Offender Registration Act. Defense in these cases requires aggressive cross-examination strategy, forensic analysis, and careful management of the public narrative where media attention arises.
• Robbery: New York distinguishes between first and second-degree robbery based on the presence of weapons, physical force, and the circumstances of the taking. Robbery prosecutions often rely heavily on eyewitness identification, which is one of the most well-documented sources of wrongful convictions and one of the most effectively challenged categories of evidence.
• Federal Felony Charges: Cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District or Eastern District of New York follow the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and apply Federal Sentencing Guidelines. These prosecutions are typically resourced at a level far beyond most state-level cases and require counsel with direct federal court experience.

What to Do When You Learn You Are Under Felony Investigation

The worst move a person can make when they suspect or know they are under investigation in New York is to wait. Proactive engagement by defense counsel, before an arrest is made, can alter the outcome of a case in ways that reactive defense never can. A lawyer retained during the investigation phase can communicate with prosecutors, assess what evidence exists, advise on whether voluntary cooperation serves the client’s interests, and in some cases prevent charges from being filed at all.

If you have received a grand jury subpoena, been approached by detectives, or been told by anyone that federal or state investigators have been asking questions about you, retain counsel immediately and say nothing to investigators without your attorney present. Statements made to law enforcement before an attorney is retained are among the most damaging pieces of evidence prosecutors introduce at trial. New York courts have generally upheld the admissibility of pre-arrest statements that are made voluntarily, and there is no requirement that police advise you of your rights until a formal custodial interrogation begins.

If an arrest has already occurred, the arraignment in Criminal Court will typically happen within 24 hours. Bail will be set or denied at that proceeding. After felony arraignment, the case is typically presented to a grand jury within a defined period under New York law, or the People must reduce the charge. That grand jury window is critical. An attorney needs to be evaluating testimony strategy, gathering information about the alleged offense, and advising the client on every dimension of what is about to happen.

Document preservation is another immediate priority. If the case involves digital communications, financial records, surveillance footage, or any other evidence that could support your defense, that material needs to be identified and preserved before it is lost. Defense counsel can issue litigation holds, subpoena records, and retain forensic experts to analyze evidence that the prosecution may downplay or mischaracterize.

Why Jason Goldman for NYC Felony Defense

Jason Goldman began his legal career as a Brooklyn prosecutor, where he handled serious felony cases and tried them to verdict. That prosecutorial foundation is not incidental. It means he understands how cases are built from the inside, where they are strong, where they are vulnerable, and what prosecutors are actually trying to accomplish when they make charging and plea decisions. That perspective informs every defense strategy he develops.

Over his career in private practice, Mr. Goldman has tried more than 25 cases to verdict. His work spans the full range of felony criminal defense: homicide, weapons charges, drug trafficking, white-collar fraud, and high-stakes cases that attract public and media scrutiny. He has represented corporate executives, doctors, politicians, celebrities, athletes, and individuals from every walk of life who found themselves facing the most serious criminal exposure of their lives. The firm has handled cases that resulted in manslaughter and weapons charges being dismissed entirely, and has represented individuals in connection with murder charges that were ultimately dismissed as well.

Mr. Goldman’s practice is deliberately selective. He does not operate a high-volume shop where clients are processed through a system. He is a New York City felony attorney who takes on cases where his involvement can actually change the outcome. His reputation was recognized by outlets including the New York Post, Fox 5, and WABC, and he has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star. He is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and serves on the Criminal Courts Committee of the New York City Bar Association. When cases require more than courtroom work, including media strategy, crisis communications, or coordination with investigators and forensic experts, he has the network to deploy those resources immediately.

Questions Worth Asking About Your Felony Case

What is the difference between a violent and non-violent felony in New York, and why does it matter?

New York law designates certain felonies as violent, a classification that triggers mandatory minimum sentences and affects parole eligibility. A violent felony conviction generally requires a period of incarceration even for first-time offenders, whereas non-violent felonies allow greater judicial discretion. The distinction also matters for plea negotiations, since prosecutors treat violent and non-violent charges very differently when considering offers.

Can a felony charge in New York be reduced to a misdemeanor?

Yes. Depending on the charge, the evidence, and the defendant’s history, a felony may be reduced to a misdemeanor through plea negotiations or dismissed outright. This is one reason why having counsel who understands how prosecutors evaluate cases and what motivates them to offer favorable pleas is important. A reduction to a misdemeanor avoids the collateral consequences of a felony record, which include loss of voting rights during incarceration, restrictions on firearm ownership, immigration consequences, and barriers to professional licensing.

What happens at a felony arraignment in New York City?

At arraignment, the court reads the charges, the defendant enters a plea, and the judge determines bail. In New York City felony arraignments, the prosecution will argue for remand or high bail based on the nature of the charges and the defendant’s history. Defense counsel argues for the lowest possible bail or release. The arguments made at arraignment set the tone for the case and require preparation, not improvisation.

Do I have to testify before the grand jury?

In New York, a defendant charged with a felony has a statutory right to testify before the grand jury. Exercising that right is almost never the right call without careful analysis. Testifying exposes you to questioning by prosecutors in a proceeding where your lawyer cannot object or intervene in real time. In most cases, the better strategy is to waive that right and preserve your defense for trial. But the analysis is specific to each case, which is exactly why this decision requires counsel who has been inside a grand jury room.

How long do felony cases in New York City typically take to resolve?

Felony cases in New York City vary widely. A case that resolves through a plea before indictment might conclude within weeks. A case that proceeds to trial in Supreme Court can take one to three years depending on motion practice, the court’s calendar, and the complexity of the charges. Federal cases often take longer due to the volume of discovery and the procedural pace of the Southern and Eastern Districts. Delay is not always disadvantageous; it can allow evidence to deteriorate, witnesses to become unavailable, and investigations to shift in the defendant’s favor.

Can a felony conviction affect my professional license in New York?

Yes. New York’s licensing authorities for doctors, lawyers, nurses, real estate professionals, financial industry employees, and many other licensed occupations treat felony convictions as grounds for suspension or revocation. In some professions, even an arrest without conviction can trigger a reporting obligation. For licensed professionals, criminal defense and licensing defense must be coordinated. A plea that resolves the criminal case may still destroy a career if the licensing implications are not analyzed in advance.

What role do private investigators and forensic experts play in felony defense?

In serious felony cases, the prosecution’s investigation has usually been running for months or years before charges are filed. Defense counsel cannot rely solely on cross-examining the government’s witnesses. A parallel investigation, using licensed private investigators to locate and interview witnesses, review surveillance, reconstruct events, and gather evidence the prosecution overlooked or ignored, can generate the affirmative defense that wins cases. Forensic experts in areas like DNA, ballistics, digital forensics, and financial accounting can directly challenge the government’s scientific conclusions.

What if I was arrested in one borough but live in another?

The case is prosecuted in the county where the alleged offense occurred, regardless of where you live. If you were arrested in the Bronx, your case will be in Bronx Supreme Court. If it happened in Queens, it proceeds in Queens Supreme Court. Your attorney needs to be familiar with the specific courthouse where your case is pending, the judges assigned to that part, and the local practices of the district attorney’s office handling the prosecution.

How does New York’s discovery reform affect my felony case?

Changes to New York’s criminal discovery laws have required prosecutors to disclose evidence much earlier in the case than was historically required. This means defense attorneys can identify weaknesses in the prosecution’s case earlier, file better-informed suppression motions, and evaluate plea offers with a clearer picture of what the government actually has. It also means that the defense must be prepared to move quickly, because earlier disclosure accelerates the timeline for strategic decisions.

What happens if my case gets transferred to federal court?

Federal prosecution is a different world. Federal cases are handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, not the local district attorney. They operate under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which involve a numerical framework that can make sentences dramatically longer than what state courts would impose for similar conduct. Federal prosecutors tend to have more resources, larger investigative teams, and higher conviction rates. If your case is being investigated federally or transferred to federal court, you need counsel who practices in both the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, not just state court.

Representing Felony Clients Across New York City and Beyond

The Law Offices of Jason Goldman represents defendants in felony proceedings across all five boroughs and throughout New York State’s court system. Cases in Manhattan proceed through the Supreme Court, New York County, which sits at 100 Centre Street in the heart of the civic center. Brooklyn felony cases are handled in the Supreme Court, Kings County, in downtown Brooklyn. The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island each have their own Supreme Court buildings handling felony prosecutions for defendants from neighborhoods spanning from Riverdale and Fordham in the Bronx, to Astoria, Flushing, Jamaica, and Far Rockaway in Queens, to Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Crown Heights, and Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, to East Harlem, Washington Heights, and the Upper West Side in Manhattan, to St. George and Tottenville in Staten Island.

The firm also handles cases in the surrounding regions that feed into the New York City criminal justice system, including cases with nexus points in Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties, as well as federal matters prosecuted in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, which cover cases from across the metro area and beyond. For cases arising outside New York where admission pro hac vice is appropriate, Mr. Goldman accepts select engagements based on the nature and stakes of the matter.

Speak with a New York City Felony Attorney at The Law Offices of Jason Goldman

The decisions you make in the first days and weeks of a felony case shape everything that follows. Waiting to retain counsel, speaking with investigators without representation, or accepting that a conviction is inevitable are all choices with lasting consequences. The Law Offices of Jason Goldman operates as a New York City felony attorney built for cases where the outcome actually matters, where the charges are serious, the evidence is contested, and the stakes are too high to leave to chance.

Jason Goldman takes a direct, personal role in every case he accepts. Contact the firm today to schedule a confidential consultation and begin building a defense strategy that accounts for every dimension of your situation.