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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.

Staten Island Murder Defense Lawyers

Understanding Murder Charges and Defenses in Staten Island, New York

Types of Murder and Punishments

Murder is the killing of another person, and it’s illegal in Staten Island. It’s also illegal across the world, and it’s not something people can commit without going to jail. It’s one of the worst criminal offenses imaginable, and it’s not one that comes with a fine or a light sentence. Murders in New York go to jail for a minimum of 15 years for committing murder. Like every other criminal act, however, there are always stipulations. Not all murder is the same, not all punishments are the same, and not all defendants are the same. This means you need to learn more about murder and the punishments and defenses possible in a case like this.

There are multiple forms of murder in New York. Each one comes with a different punishment:

  • First-degree murder comes with punishments including a minimum 20 years in prison and a maximum life sentence, and life comes without parole.
  • Second-degree murder comes with a minimum 15-year prison sentence with a maximum 25 years to life in prison sentence.
  • Aggravated murder comes with a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole at any point.

The penalties are different for each person charged with murder. The circumstances surrounding the murder, the circumstances of the issue, and the number of times the defendant has been charged with a crime in the past all help a judge and a jury determine what they might issue as a punishment. Mitigating circumstances vary by case.

Not All Deaths are Considered Murder

Some criminal acts of murder are not murder, per se. When a driver gets behind the wheel of a car drunk and runs into someone and kills them, it’s not murder. It’s called vehicular manslaughter. There was a death, it was not intentional, but it wasn’t right. This is when New York law gets a little complicated as legalities are brought to question. Not all death is considered murder, and not all people will receive the same sentence depending on their own background and criminal record.

Someone without a criminal record might not be sentenced as harshly as someone who has been arrested and charged with violent crimes in the past. Punishment also changes based on the age of the victim and the circumstances surrounding the death of a child or elderly person.

Defenses for Murder Charges

Hiring a criminal defense attorney is the best way to end up cleared of murder charges or to have your charges reduced following your arrest. There are many defenses a criminal defense attorney might work with, and each one is very personal to the case and the defendant in need of a criminal defense attorney.

  1. Self-Defense: This is one of the most common forms of defense when a murder is committed. It comes with the argument that the victim’s intent was to harm the person charged with murder, and the defendant was required to kill this person to stay alive and keep others safe. Self-defense is a good defense when the victim was causing harm, and there is proof this occurred.
  2. Mistaken Identity: When a murder charge is made and an arrest occurs, sometimes the defendant will claim this is a case of mistaken identity. It happens in line-ups, in grainy videos, and even with the help of witness statements. If someone is similar to the person who committed the crime, it’s easy to put a face into the role of murderer by mistake.
  3. Accidents: Not all death caused by someone else is murder. Sometimes it’s nothing more than a terrible accident, such as a vehicle accident. In this case, the charges might be dropped to a form of manslaughter, which comes with a much lighter sentence for anyone charged with this crime.
  4. Insanity: If a person is cognitively unable to behave appropriately or recognize their own actions as wrong, they might be able to cite the issue as insanity. There are various tests both mentally and physically performed, and witness testimony from a doctor and other medical professionals must be acquired to determine insanity as a valid defense with a murder charge in question.
  5. Exercise of Duty: In many cases, the death of another person is committed by someone who works for the law. This is not murder when it’s the death of a suspect putting other people at risk, and it’s going to be called exercise of duty. A criminal defense attorney can help a police officer or other law enforcement officer with this defense when they were off-duty helping strangers or involved in any other situation in which this might occur. It must be proven the act was committed without any personal reason or intent, and that it was necessary in the eyes of the law.

The best defense against any murder charge is a good defense. A criminal attorney can help prove your case, reduce charges, or even have you walk away from court without being charged with anything. It’s your best case scenario to call a criminal defense attorney.

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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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