New York City Sexual Assault Victim Lawyer
Sexual assault cases are among the most consequential matters that ever move through the New York criminal justice system, whether you are someone who has survived an assault and is navigating a criminal investigation, or someone who has been falsely accused and is watching their reputation, career, and freedom hang in the balance. A New York City sexual assault victim lawyer occupies a unique intersection of criminal law, civil litigation, and institutional advocacy. The work requires more than courtroom ability. It demands an understanding of how prosecutors build these cases, how physical and digital evidence is developed, and how the legal system responds to the specific vulnerabilities and interests that arise when sexual violence is alleged.
New York City handles a significant volume of sexual assault cases each year across its five boroughs, with cases prosecuted through the Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island District Attorney’s offices. The Special Victims Divisions within these offices are staffed by prosecutors who handle sexual offense cases exclusively, meaning the attorneys on the other side of any such matter are specialists. That reality shapes every decision made in the room, from how a complaint is taken at the precinct level to how evidence is preserved and ultimately presented at trial or in a civil proceeding.
Legal representation in these matters is not a single-purpose service. Survivors navigating the criminal process often need counsel who can accompany them through precinct interviews, advise on grand jury participation, and pursue civil claims against individual perpetrators or the institutions that enabled them. The landscape is technically demanding and emotionally charged, and the counsel someone retains in the early stages will shape how every subsequent stage unfolds.
What These Cases Actually Involve in New York
Sexual assault in New York encompasses a range of conduct defined under the state’s Penal Law, from forcible compulsion to offenses involving incapacity, age, and abuse of authority. Each category carries distinct evidentiary requirements and distinct consequences for both survivors and those accused. Understanding the categories that arise most often in New York City proceedings helps frame what any effective legal strategy must address.
- Rape and Forcible Sexual Acts: These charges, prosecuted under New York Penal Law provisions covering first, second, and third-degree offenses, arise from allegations of penetration accomplished by force, threat, or incapacity. DNA evidence, sexual assault forensic exams (SAFE exams), and witness testimony typically form the evidentiary core of these cases.
- Sexual Abuse and Forcible Touching: These offenses cover a range of non-penetrative conduct, including groping and unwanted physical contact in public spaces, workplaces, and residential settings. Surveillance footage, cell phone records, and bystander accounts frequently surface in these matters in dense urban environments like Manhattan and Brooklyn.
- Sexual Assault by Someone in a Position of Authority: Cases involving clergy, teachers, coaches, medical professionals, correction officers, and others who exploit a position of trust present unique evidentiary and civil liability dimensions. New York’s Child Victims Act and Adult Survivors Act opened extended windows for civil claims arising from these institutional failures.
- Campus and University Sexual Misconduct: New York City hosts dozens of colleges and universities subject to Title IX requirements. Campus proceedings operate parallel to and independent of criminal courts, and a survivor’s participation in one process does not preclude action in the other.
- Trafficking-Related Sexual Assault: Human trafficking cases that involve sexual exploitation often intersect with assault charges. New York prosecutors in these matters work in coordination with federal agencies, which alters the procedural landscape significantly.
- Digital and Online Sexual Exploitation: Non-consensual distribution of intimate images, often called revenge porn, is a crime under New York law. Cases involving coercion, blackmail, or distribution of intimate content require forensic digital investigation alongside traditional legal strategy.
- Civil Claims Against Institutions: Beyond criminal prosecution, survivors may have viable civil claims against schools, employers, hotels, transit authorities, and other entities that knew or should have known about a perpetrator’s conduct. New York’s notice of claim requirements and institutional liability standards are highly specific and deadline-driven.
Why The Law Offices of Jason Goldman for Sexual Assault Representation in New York
Jason Goldman began his career as a Brooklyn prosecutor, which means he spent years on the inside of the system that investigates and prosecutes exactly these kinds of cases. That prosecutorial background is not a marketing point. It is a practical advantage. He understands how Special Victims Division prosecutors build their cases, what evidence they prioritize, and where their investigations can be challenged or supplemented. That institutional knowledge is directly applicable whether he is representing a survivor seeking accountability or someone facing allegations they dispute.
The Law Offices of Jason Goldman has handled some of the most high-profile and sensitive matters in New York and has been described by the New York Post as “high-powered” and by WABC’s Sid Rosenberg as “brilliant.” Mr. Goldman has tried over 25 cases to verdict and built a practice described by Chelsea News as having “a history of getting high-profile defendants off.” His client roster has included corporate executives, celebrities, athletes, politicians, and professionals across industries, all of whom faced situations where privacy, reputation, and legal outcome were simultaneously at stake.
What distinguishes this practice in matters involving sexual assault is the combination of rigorous litigation skill and the strategic, behind-the-scenes work that shapes outcomes before any courtroom appearance. Mr. Goldman has built a trusted network of forensic experts, private investigators, public relations professionals, and crisis communications specialists whom he deploys when a case demands more than argument alone. For survivors, that can mean ensuring the investigation is conducted properly and completely. For those facing allegations, it means building a counter-investigation designed to surface facts that prosecutorial teams may not pursue on their own. The firm is selective, representing clients in matters where the stakes and the complexity justify elite, personalized attention.
Early Steps That Determine How These Cases Develop
The actions taken in the immediate aftermath of a sexual assault, or in the immediate aftermath of an accusation, have an outsized effect on everything that follows. For survivors, preserving physical evidence is critical. The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation operates forensic rape examination programs at multiple hospital locations throughout the five boroughs, including Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan, Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, and Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx. A SAFE exam should be completed as soon as possible, and legal advice can be sought before speaking with law enforcement if there are concerns about the process.
Survivors in New York also have the right to consult with legal counsel before participating in a grand jury proceeding. The grand jury process, in which prosecutors present evidence to secure an indictment, is one area where having representation can meaningfully influence whether and how charges are brought. Survivors are not required to testify in the grand jury, though the decision carries strategic consequences that counsel can help evaluate.
Filing a police report in New York City routes the case through the NYPD’s Special Victims Squad, which operates out of borough-level detective units. Reports can be filed at any precinct, though SVS detectives will typically take over active investigation. Documents to preserve include any communications with the perpetrator, photographs, clothing, and records of any prior incidents or threats. If the assault occurred in a workplace, hotel, or institution, internal records and HR communications may be relevant to a parallel civil claim and should be preserved.
For civil claims, New York’s Adult Survivors Act created a temporary revival window for adult survivors to file claims for conduct that occurred years or even decades earlier, including against institutions that may no longer be operating. That window has since closed, but claims within standard limitation periods remain available, and the legal standards for institutional liability continue to develop through litigation. A sexual assault attorney serving New York City clients will assess each situation against current statute of limitations and notice requirements, which vary depending on the defendant and the nature of the claim.
One of the most common mistakes survivors make is speaking extensively with law enforcement or institutional investigators before consulting with counsel. While cooperation with a criminal investigation can be appropriate and even necessary, the specific form that cooperation takes and what is said in early interviews shapes the evidentiary record going forward. Legal advice at this stage is not obstructive. It is protective of the survivor’s interests throughout a process that can span months or years.
What the Civil Claim Process Looks Like Alongside Criminal Proceedings
Criminal prosecution and civil litigation operate on separate tracks, and both are available to survivors in most circumstances. A criminal conviction requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt and results in penalties against the perpetrator. A civil claim, brought under a preponderance of the evidence standard, can result in monetary compensation paid to the survivor and can include claims against third parties, such as institutions that failed to act on known risks.
New York civil claims in sexual assault cases can include causes of action for assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent supervision, and negligent retention, among others. When the perpetrator is an employee or agent of a larger institution, the institution itself can be held liable under theories of respondeat superior or negligence, depending on the facts. Hotels and residential properties have their own duty of care considerations under premises liability doctrine.
A sexual assault attorney in New York City overseeing a civil claim will typically work in parallel with any ongoing criminal investigation, being careful not to interfere with the criminal process while building an independent civil record. This includes engaging investigators, preserving documentary evidence, taking testimony through deposition, and identifying insurance coverage available to satisfy any judgment. The civil process does not depend on a criminal conviction, which means survivors retain options even when prosecutors decline to charge or when a jury returns a not guilty verdict. The O.J. Simpson civil liability verdict remains the most famous illustration of this dynamic nationally, but New York courts have applied the same principle across countless sexual misconduct cases.
Questions People Ask About Sexual Assault Legal Representation in New York
Do I have to file a police report before I can pursue legal action?
No. Criminal and civil proceedings are distinct. You can pursue a civil claim without ever filing a police report, and you can report to law enforcement without immediately committing to civil litigation. An attorney can help you evaluate which avenues serve your goals and in what order.
How long do I have to file a civil lawsuit in New York for sexual assault?
The statute of limitations in New York for civil sexual assault claims has evolved significantly in recent years. Currently, adult survivors generally have an extended window compared to historical limits, but the specific deadline depends on when the assault occurred, who the defendant is, and whether institutional actors are involved. This is not an area to assume. Consultation with counsel is necessary to identify the precise deadline that applies to your situation.
Can I speak with a lawyer without my name becoming part of a public record?
Conversations with an attorney are protected by attorney-client privilege. Your identity and the details of what you disclose remain confidential unless you choose to proceed with litigation that creates a public court record. There are also mechanisms to proceed pseudonymously in certain civil cases, which counsel can advise on based on the specific facts and the court where the matter would be filed.
What happens if the perpetrator is not charged or the criminal case is dismissed?
A decision by prosecutors not to pursue charges, or a dismissal of charges, does not extinguish your civil claim. Civil proceedings use a lower standard of proof and are decided by different fact-finders. Many survivors have obtained civil judgments and settlements in cases where no criminal conviction resulted.
Can I sue my employer or a company if the assault happened at work?
Potentially, yes. Employers in New York have obligations under state and city anti-discrimination law, and civil liability can extend to employers who knew or should have known about a perpetrator’s history and failed to act. The New York City Human Rights Law imposes some of the broadest employer liability standards in the country, which can benefit survivors in workplace assault cases.
What if I was assaulted at a hotel, club, or venue in New York City?
Properties in New York have a duty of reasonable care to guests and patrons. If a hotel, nightclub, or event venue failed to provide adequate security, employed a perpetrator with a known history, or failed to respond appropriately after an assault was reported, the property operator may bear civil liability. Evidence in these cases often includes surveillance footage, staffing records, prior incident reports, and security protocols, all of which should be preserved as early as possible.
What is the Adult Survivors Act and does it still apply to my case?
New York’s Adult Survivors Act opened a one-year window for adult survivors to bring civil claims that would otherwise be time-barred. That window has closed, but claims that were filed during the window continue to proceed through litigation. If you did not file during that window, counsel can assess whether any other available theory or claim remains viable under current law.
If I was assaulted by a public official or law enforcement officer, how does that change my options?
Claims against government employees or agencies in New York require the filing of a notice of claim, typically within 90 days of the incident, before any civil lawsuit can proceed. Missing this deadline can bar a claim entirely. These cases also involve constitutional dimensions under federal civil rights law that may expand the available remedies beyond what state tort law provides alone.
Can the perpetrator’s past behavior be used as evidence?
In criminal proceedings, New York’s evidentiary rules govern the admissibility of prior bad acts with nuance. In civil cases, the standards are different, and evidence of a perpetrator’s pattern of conduct may be highly relevant to both liability and damages, particularly when institutional defendants are involved and their notice of prior incidents is at issue.
What does it actually look like to have a lawyer alongside me through a police interview or grand jury process?
Your attorney can accompany you to NYPD Special Victims interviews, advise you on what to say and how to respond, and help ensure the investigation is conducted properly. With respect to grand jury proceedings, your attorney cannot enter the grand jury room with you, but will prepare you thoroughly in advance and be available immediately outside the room. The preparation that happens before these interactions is where counsel’s value is most concentrated.
Sexual Assault Representation Across New York City’s Boroughs and Beyond
The Law Offices of Jason Goldman represents clients throughout all five boroughs of New York City and the surrounding metropolitan region. In Manhattan, the firm handles cases arising from Midtown, the Financial District, the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, Harlem, Washington Heights, Chelsea, and the Lower East Side. In Brooklyn, the firm serves clients from Park Slope, Flatbush, Crown Heights, Bushwick, Bay Ridge, Williamsburg, Bed-Stuy, and Sunset Park. Queens clients come from Astoria, Jackson Heights, Flushing, Jamaica, Forest Hills, Long Island City, and the Rockaways. In the Bronx, the firm takes on cases from the South Bronx, Fordham, Riverdale, and Co-op City. Staten Island clients from St. George, Stapleton, and the North Shore have sought the firm’s representation as well.
Beyond the five boroughs, the firm handles matters in Westchester County, Nassau County, and Suffolk County, and is available for federal cases in the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York. For matters arising outside New York, Mr. Goldman is admitted pro hac vice in courts throughout the country, allowing representation in significant cases wherever jurisdiction may lie.
New York City Sexual Assault Attorney Consultations at The Law Offices of Jason Goldman
Decisions made in the early days of a sexual assault matter, whether you are a survivor seeking accountability or someone contesting an allegation, shape the trajectory of everything that follows. A New York City sexual assault attorney at this firm brings prosecutorial experience, litigation depth, and a strategic network that extends well beyond the courtroom. Jason Goldman’s practice is built on discretion, preparation, and the understanding that controlling the narrative is often as important as controlling the evidence. That combination is what distinguishes meaningful representation from merely having counsel on record.
Contact The Law Offices of Jason Goldman to discuss your situation in confidence. The firm offers selective representation for clients facing high-stakes circumstances, and consultations are handled with the full weight of attorney-client privilege from the first conversation.
