212-300-5196

Service & Results.

nyc criminal lawyers over 30 years of experienceWe Know How To Win Cases

Spodek Law Group handles tough cases
nationwide, that demand excellence.

Get Free Consultation

Faced 5+ Years in Prison

People Vs Joseph Amico

Covered by NYDaily News. Las Vegas man accused of threatening a prominent attorney and making vile remarks.

Faced 10+ Years in Prison

People Vs. Anna Sorokin

Covered by New York Times, and other outlets. Fake heiress accused of conning the city’s wealthy, and has an HBO special being made about her.

Faced 3+ Years in Prison

People Vs. Genevieve Sabourin

Accused of stalking Alec Baldwin. The case garnered nationwide attention, with USAToday, NYPost, and other media outlets following it closely.

Faced Potential Charges

Ghislaine Maxwell Juror

Juror who prompted calls for new Ghislaine Maxwell trial turns to lawyer who defended Anna Sorokin.

Why Choose Us

Clients can use our portal to track the status of their case, stay in touch with us, upload documents, and more.

Regardless of the type of situation you're facing, our attorneys are here to help you get quality representation.

We can setup consultations in person, over Zoom, or over the phone to help you. Bottom line, we're here to help you win your case.

Spodek
Law in the Media

View All

Meet Todd Spodek

WE PROVIDE WHITE GLOVE SERVICE TO CLIENTS
WHO WANT MORE FROM THEIR ATTORNEY

The Spodek Law Group understands how delicate high-profile cases can be, and has a strong track record of getting positive outcomes. Our lawyers service a clientele that is nationwide. With offices in both LA and NYC, and cases all across the country - Spodek Law Group is a top tier law firm.

Todd Spodek is a second generation attorney with immense experience. He has many years of experience handling 100’s of tough and hard to win trials. He’s been featured on major news outlets, such as New York Post, Newsweek, Fox 5 New York, South China Morning Post, Insider.com, and many others.

In 2022, Netflix released a series about one of Todd’s clients: Anna Delvey/Anna Sorokin.

Why Clients Choose Spodek Law Group

The reason is simple: clients want white glove service, and lawyers who can win. Every single client who works with the Spodek Law Group is aware that the attorney they hire could drastically change the outcome of their case. Hiring the Spodek Law Group means you’re taking your future seriously. Our lawyers handle cases nationwide, ranging from NYC to LA. Our philosophy is fair and simple: our nyc criminal lawyers only take on clients who we know will benefit from our services.

We’re selective about the clients we work with, and only take on cases we know align with our experience – and where we can make a difference. This is different from other law firms who are not invested in your success nor care about your outcome.

If you have a legal issue, call us for a consultation.
We are available 24/7, to help you with any – and all, challenges you face.

Brooklyn Murder Criminal Defense Lawyers

By Spodek Law Group | July 26, 2023
(Last Updated On: August 3, 2023)

Last Updated on: 3rd August 2023, 01:50 am

What Is Murder?

When you hear someone talk about murder, they are usually talking about first-degree murder. This is the killing of another person with several elements that need to be present in order for the charge to be filed and in order for you to be convicted of the crime. The crime must be willful in nature, and there must be premeditation in order for you to be charged with murder. This means that you must have planned for the killing to take place instead of waiting until the heat of the moment to commit the crime. An example would be if someone thought about killing a friend or even an acquaintance over the course of several days before finally carrying out those thoughts. This would be considered murder because there an intent and premeditation were involved.

When a death occurs while another crime is being committed, then you can be charged with murder in this situation as well. Examples include arson, kidnapping, rape or burglary. An example of this would be if you were to enter a bank to rob it and started shooting. If someone dies, then you would likely be charged with murder in most states because the death occurred during the crime.

There are a few elements that most states look for before convicting someone of murder. To be considered first-degree murder, the crime must involve willfulness, premeditative thoughts and a deliberate act. Malice is an element that some states also require. There are some types of murders that don’t require all of the elements to be present based on the people who are involved or the number of people involved. Capital murder is often known as the most severe in many states instead of various degrees.

There must be an intent to kill another person present for you to be charged with murder. The intent doesn’t have to be for a certain person. Premeditation is often examined based on each murder committed. There isn’t a specified length of time for planning a murder, but there needs to be some kind of planning involved. Certain murders are always classified as a first-degree killing in most states, such as the murder of a child or the murder of an officer of the law.

Penalties For Murder

Most people who are convicted of murder are sentenced to life in prison or sentenced to death. Some states offer parole for those who have been convicted of murder after they have served a certain length of time in prison. However, many states don’t allow for any kind of parole, such as Florida. Other states have a range of sentencing options, such as a certain length of time in prison, life without parole, or death.

There are a few aggravating factors that the prosecution will look at when deciding on the sentence. These include whether you have other prior convictions, whether the murder was committed with another crime, if it was a heinous act, and if there were explosive materials involved in the murder. Other factors are also looked at by the prosecution so that a fair ruling can be given.

Possible Defenses

Some of the defenses that an attorney can use when you go to court include mental illness, a mistake, or self-defense. An attorney will sometimes use an insanity defense if there is any indication that a mental order is present. Self-defense is another common tactic used by attorneys, especially if there is any kind of scuffle or defense wounds anywhere on your body before the crime was committed.

How Can An Attorney Help?

One of the ways that an attorney can help with your murder case is to examine any evidence that hasn’t been submitted and to look for new evidence. Your attorney can plan the best defense to try to minimize the length of time spent in prison or to put enough doubt in the mind of the jury or prosecution to have the case dismissed.

Decoding Murder Charges in New York: Definitions, Penalties, Defenses

Deconstructing Murder Charges

In the landscape of New York’s criminal laws, murder charges aren’t quite easily pigeonholed. There are three charges under this umbrella – first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and felony murder. But that’s not where the list ends. New York also recognizes other forms of homicides such as manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide. Adding more spice to the mix, certain types of abortions can even find themselves slapped with homicide charges.

Delineating Murder

To put it simply, a murder is when someone illegally snuffs out the life of another human in a specific set of circumstances, as per Cornell Law School. These circumstances propelling a case towards a murder charge involve situations where an individual has thoughtfully plotted the demise of another person. The charges of first-degree murder aren’t bound by just premeditation. The victim’s identity can sometimes tilt the scales. For instance, if someone snuffs out the life of a police officer, a correctional employee, a judge, or even a case witness, they’re looking down the barrel of a first-degree murder charge.

Unraveling Penalties Across New York

Illustrating the severity of its crime, a first-degree murder is classified as a class A-1 offense in New York, which is primarily the topmost category of crime in the state and comes with a similar heavyweight penalty under New York’s legal scheme.

Convictions for first-degree murder in New York can yield three potential outcomes. One of them is the death penalty. The second is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The third possibility is rather lighter, including a prison stint ranging from 20 to 25 years coupled with a monetary penalty.

Second-degree murder is also categorized as a class A-1 felony under New York laws. A conviction in these cases can land the person approximately 15 to 25 years behind bars, and they might also have to pay a monetary penalty.

About Turning the Tables on a Murder Charge

When it comes to defending against a murder charge, the path is highly dependent on the distinct facts and circumstances linked with the claimed crime. Yet, there exist some commonly raised defenses in murder cases.

One of these defenses can be erected on the sturdy groundwork of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, known for its reins on unreasonable searches and seizures as maintained by U.S. Courts. If the defense manages to prove a breach of this Amendment in a murder case, the court might limit the admittance of evidence or even outrightly dismiss the case, depending on the magnitude of the violation.

Sometimes, a person accused of murder may counterclaim that the real culprit is still at large. In other cases, the defense might concede that a life was lost, yet argue that the circumstances do not warrant first degree or second degree murder charges. For instance, they may plead that the death was a tragic accident, not an intentional act.

In certain cases where the gathered evidence is formidable, the defense might try to broker a plea agreement with the prosecutor. This stratagem emphasizes the crucial need for a shrewd criminal defense attorney, especially if an innocent verdict seems like a long shot. The aim here is to downgrade the charges and subsequently land a lesser sentence upon pleading in the case.

The topic of plea bargains brings us to another important point – even though the defense and prosecution may agree on a sentencing recommendation in a plea deal, the final say rests with the judge. They can completely disregard the recommendation and dish out any sentence within the law’s parameters.

Connecting with Brooklyn’s Finest Murder Defense Lawyers

Given the intricate and serious nature of a murder charge, anyone standing in the dock needs to hit the ground running and secure the services of a skilled, seasoned Brooklyn murder defense lawyer like those at Spodek Law Group. The journey usually begins with an initial consultation, where the attorney provides a client with an evaluation of their case and discusses possible defenses. Prospective clients can also ask any questions they may have about their case. As a general rule, a criminal defense attorney typically doesn’t charge a fee for this initial consultation in a murder case.

Free Consultation

Testimonials

I was searching for a law firm with some power to help me deal with a warrant in New York . After 6 days I decided to go with Spodek Law Group. It helped that This law firm is well respected by not only the top law firms in New York , but the DA , Judge as well. I...

~Fonder Brandon

5 Stars
It was my good fortune to retain Spodek Law Group for representation for my legal needs. From the beginning, communication was prompt and thorough. Todd, Kenneth and Alex were the first people I worked with and they all made me feel comfortable and confident that the team was going to work hard for me. Everything was explained and any concerns...

~A G

5 Stars
After meeting with several law firms, I chose the Spodek Law Group not only for their professionalism and experience, but for the personal attention given to me right from the initial consultation. It is important to recognize how crucial having the right legal team is when faced with potentially life altering events that impact families and the lives of loved...

~George Cherubini

Spodek Law Group

White Glove Service

We Provide Superior Service, Excellent Results, At A Level Superior To Other Criminal Defense Law Firms. Regardless Of Where Your Case Is, Nationwide, We Can Help You.
View More

Request Free Consultation

Please fill out the form below to receive a free consultation, we will respond to
your inquiry within 24-hours guaranteed.

NYC

85 Broad St 30th Floor, New York, NY 10004

212-300-5196

get directions

Los Angeles

611 S Catalina St Suite 222, Los Angeles, CA 90005

212-300-5196

get directions

QUEENS

35-37 36th St, 2nd Floor Astoria, NY 11106

212-300-5196

get directions

BROOKLYN

195 Montague St., 14th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201

212-300-5196

get directions
Call Now!