Legal Question in Criminal Law in New York

was arrested back in 2004 for possession of stolen property ( I returned merchandise to a store that was stolen by a friend and I had no knowledge of this). Plead not guilty, was supposed to get a court date in the mail and I never did. There is a warrant for my arrest now. Is there a statute of limitations? Where can I go from here? Is my only option turning myself in? I want to take care of this but I dont want to be put in jail. I understand that I should have taken care of this back in 2004 but I moved out of the area, never got the new court date, for some reason I thought it was taken care of but obviously its not bc I have a warrant. I have never been arrested since then and I have a good job, am very responsible etc. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


Asked on 12/14/10, 11:48 am

2 Answers from Attorneys
peter bark bark & karpf

It really depends on the county where the warrant was issued. In NYC, if you turn yourself in, you probably will not be jailed and if you have been clean for all these years, the case will probably be dismissed in the interest of justice.

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Answered on 12/19/10, 6:27 pm
Steven Czik CZIK LAW PLLC

There is a good chance that you will not get jail time, but it would be highly recommended to have an experienced lawyer with you defending you and preserving your rights in court. It would also greatly increase the chance of lowering the charges or possible dismissal. We have substantial experience handling these types of cases and reasonable fees, however, we would need some more information before making a complete and proper determination. You are welcome to contact us for a free consultation.

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Answered on 12/28/10, 11:03 am


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