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nationwide, that demand excellence.

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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.

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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.

Hobbs Act Lawyers

The Hobbs Act: Understanding Federal Criminal Regulations

The United States penal code governs federal criminal regulations. The Hobbs Act, which was passed in 1946, is a law that prohibits robbery or extortion that affects international or interstate commerce. Since the crime concerns other countries or multiple states, it falls into federal jurisdiction instead of state. Under the Hobbs Act, people can also be charged with attempting to use fear or force to commit a crime, even if they are not successful in the attempt.

Historical Context and Application

At the time it was passed, the bill was addressing the racketeering that happened during labor disputes. This isn’t as common nowadays as it was back then. There are some rare cases when the charge is used when a person is suspected of union corruption, but prosecutors are much more likely to use the statute to prosecute commercial disputes and public corruption.

Public officials are not allowed to acquire property by using their status to force others to give them the property. In addition, no one is allowed to make threats of violence or force to gain property.

If someone is suspected of violating the Hobbs Act, the case is investigated by the FBI. They will compile the evidence and work with the US Attorney’s Office to bring a case against the defendant. If you have been accused of committing extortion or robbery, you need to get a skilled defense lawyer immediately.

Severity of Charges

When the Hobbs Act is involved in the charges, the situation becomes even more serious. Most people aren’t familiar with the Hobbs Act because they never expect to need to know how to mediate labor disputes and corruption issues.

According to the Hobbs Act, if you are the subject of an extortion or robbery charge, your sentence can become much more severe if it interrupted interstate commerce. You can be charged with robbery if you took their property through use of force or violence with no consent. Extortion is the charge used if you obtained consent, but only because the victim was too afraid to say no.

Elements of Proving a Violation

Every case of extortion is different. There have been cases that include additional charges of conspiracy, robbery, murder, assault, and attempted murder. Any act of violence that occurred during the situation might be charged as its own crime.

Proving a Violation

To prove a violation, the prosecutor has to provide hard evidence that the defendant committed certain elements of the crime. The jury cannot have any reasonable doubt that every aspect of the crime was committed. If the prosecutor is unable to prove every element, they might drop the charges to something smaller and more easily provable.

These are the things that the prosecutor must prove about the case:

  1. The defendant took property from someone else after they had given their consent, or they attempted to do this, or they conspired to do it.
  2. They used wrongful violence, intimidation, force, or threats of these things by leveraging their position.
  3. They intended to break the law.
  4. Their actions had some kind of effect on interstate commerce.

If a prosecutor can prove everything except the last bit, they might charge the person with extortion without the Hobbs Act.

You also don’t need to prove that a person made actual threats. If the person is a public official, the prosecutor can prove that they used their position for intimidation or fear. For example, they might imply that they have the power to get someone’s family deported, which would be a fear tactic.

Penalties and Defense Strategies

The punishment for violating this piece of legislation is a maximum of 20 years in prison. In addition, you will have to pay a fine that the court determines.

Defending Against a Violation of the Hobbs Act

If you are going to defend yourself against this charge, you have to make a case that you have not committed every element of the crime. You might end up admitting to a lesser crime and taking a plea deal instead. A defense attorney will review your case and build a strategy based on your unique situation.

Some potential defenses to the Hobbs Act include:

  • These actions didn’t have any effect on interstate commerce.
  • The defendant didn’t extort property, or even attempt to extort property.
  • The defendant was not using fear or violence to make the victim release their property.
  • The defendant didn’t benefit from the property they were given.
  • The victim didn’t suffer any losses as a result of giving up the property.

It is very difficult to prove a Hobbs Act violation because of the amount of evidence needed. A prosecutor needs to tell a compelling story that cannot be doubted or disproven. You will likely have the opportunity to plead guilty to a lesser charge instead of going to trial.

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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, and my company Qumana skincare feel comfortable and confident that the team was going to work hard for me. Everything...

~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

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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.
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