The New York Police Pilot Android Smartphone Program, which began last summer, provides police with thousands of criminal records while they canvas a particular building or area. Over 400 phones have been distributed to police officers since the program began. Police can now access your criminal history and your neighbors by tapping on their smartphone as they approach your apartment building or property to determine open arrest records and previous incidents, photos of parolees in the building, prior domestic incident reports, DMV records and more information about a person’s criminal history. So if police come knocking on your door because you are a suspect in a crime or they are looking for information regarding a crime committed in the area, even if you are not involved, they may be armed with information they have gathered about you.
New York Domestic Violence Charges
The technology is extremely helpful in domestic violence cases because the police can look up the call records to see if there have been any reports of domestic violence at the property or complaints or charges against you for a domestic violence offense before you answer the door. This information is not usually readily available to police when they investigate a domestic violence dispute.
You could be arrested and charged with a domestic violence offense in New York if you inflict harm against another member of your household including assault or attempted assault, harassment and aggravated harassment, stalking and reckless endangerment, economic abuse, emotional abuse and isolation. Many times domestic violence cases involve a husband and wife or couples who are living together, dating or other family members living in the house or persons you have a child with.
The charges depend on the circumstances surrounding the case, the victim’s injuries, whether there are minor children present or whether a restraining order was violated. Typically, the victim will obtain a restraining order against the defendant after the incident and arrest. However, many times, the victim has a restraining order and the defendant still violates the order causing injuries to the victim.
Protecting your rights
Domestic violence charges are considered serious in New York. Having a domestic violation conviction means you could lose custody of your children, lose your home or your job, face jail time, fines or having to attend an anger managing class and probation. A qualified New York domestic violence attorney can help you fight the charges and make sure your rights are being protected. With such high stakes, don’t take a change of risking and ruining your future. Hire one of our New York domestic violence attorneys to help you get the charges reduced to a lesser crime, enter into a plea bargain or get the charges dismissed.
