Criminal defense attorneys in Syracuse and Cortland

We defend people charged in the town, village, city and county courts of Onondaga and Cortland counties, from a ticket that turned out to be a misdemeanor to a felony charge.

The first conversation is free and there is no obligation.

What we handle

The line people cross without noticing

A great many criminal cases in Central New York start as something that looked like a ticket. Aggravated unlicensed operation is the clearest example. It arrives on the same paperwork as an ordinary moving violation, and it is a misdemeanor in the third and second degrees and a class E felony in the first.

The distinction that matters is not how serious the paperwork looks. It is this:

If you are not certain which of these you are facing, that is the first thing to establish, and it takes one phone call.

Cannabis: what actually changed

New York replaced Penal Law article 221 with article 222 in 2021, and a lot of material online, including some law firm pages, still describes the old law.

Under § 222.05, it is lawful for someone twenty-one or over to possess, transport or purchase up to three ounces of cannabis and up to twenty-four grams of concentrate, and to give that amount to another adult without payment. Above those amounts, and for sale charges, offenses still exist and are still charged.

DWI and DWAI

We handle DWI, aggravated DWI, DWAI-drugs and combined influence charges, along with the chemical test refusal hearing that runs separately at the DMV and can cost you your license even where the criminal case goes well.

These carry consequences that reach past the courtroom, license, insurance, employment, and for non-citizens, immigration.

The charge levels, the mandatory fines, the revocation periods, Leandra’s Law and what a refusal costs are all set out on our DWI and DWAI page. What that page cannot tell you is which of them applies to you. That depends on your record, your reading and the court you are in. Bring us the paperwork.

Where your case will be heard

Which court you are in shapes how the case runs and how long it takes. A charge arising in a town or village goes to that municipality's justice court, some of which sit only once or twice a month; a charge inside a city goes to that city court; felonies move to County Court.

We have set out every one of them, with addresses and phone numbers, on the Onondaga County and Cortland County court pages.

If you have just been charged

• Do not explain. You may say you do not wish to answer questions and that you want a lawyer. That is not an admission and cannot be used as one.
• Do not miss the return date. Failing to appear creates a second problem on top of the first, and in driving matters it can suspend your license.
• Keep everything you were handed, including the back of it, and any paperwork about a test or a search.
• Call before the first appearance. Some options are only available before arraignment.

Questions people ask

Is a traffic ticket a criminal charge?

Most are not, an ordinary speeding ticket is a traffic infraction. But several charges written on the same kind of paperwork are crimes, including aggravated unlicensed operation, reckless driving, and anything under section 1192. The form it arrives on does not tell you which you have.

What is the difference between a violation, a misdemeanor and a felony?

A violation is not a crime and carries up to fifteen days. A misdemeanor is a crime carrying up to a year in most cases. A felony carries more than a year. Only the second and third leave you with a criminal record.

Do I have to talk to the police?

No. You can say that you do not wish to answer questions and that you want a lawyer, and that is the end of it. People talk because silence feels like an admission. It is not, and explanations given early are very hard to take back.

Can the police search my car because they smell cannabis?

Generally no. Penal Law section 222.05 says the odor of cannabis cannot by itself establish reasonable cause. There is a narrow exception during an impaired driving investigation, and even then burnt odor does not justify searching parts of the car the driver could not reach.

Is possessing cannabis still a crime in New York?

Not within the personal-use limits. Since 2021, article 222 has made possession of up to three ounces of cannabis, or twenty-four grams of concentrate, lawful at twenty-one and over. Amounts above that, and sale charges, remain offenses and are still charged.

Which court will my case be in?

It depends on where you were charged. A matter arising in a town or village goes to that municipality's justice court, one inside a city goes to that city court, and felonies move to County Court. See our Onondaga and Cortland county court pages.

What should I do first?

Do not discuss the incident with anyone but a lawyer, do not miss the return date on your paperwork, and bring us everything you were given, including the back of it. Call before the first appearance rather than after, because some options close at arraignment.

What does the first conversation cost?

Nothing, and there is no obligation afterwards. Both offices have free parking and take walk-ins during business hours. If it turns out you do not need a lawyer for what you are facing, we would rather tell you that than take the case. It happens often enough to be worth saying.

Serving both counties

Sources

NY Penal Law § 222.05 — Personal use of cannabis ·Penal Law article 222 — Cannabis ·VTL § 511
Statutory text verified August 2026. This page describes what the law provides. It is not advice about your own case, and what you are charged with, what defenses exist and what any court will do depend on facts this page cannot know.

Other things we handle