If you are convicted of a crime in New York, you could face a number of criminal consequences such as jail time or probation. However, you may also face other inconvenient consequences such as an inability to live within a certain distance of a school or be subject to a curfew.
You might lose certain civil rights
In the event that you are convicted of a felony, you may lose your right to vote in state or federal elections. It’s also possible that you will cede your ability to own a gun even after you have served your sentence. Finally, you might not be able to serve on a jury, which minimizes your ability to ensure others aren’t punished for things that they might not have done.
You might not be truly free
Being released from jail or prison is generally seen as a good thing because you have more control over your life. However, if you are released on parole, you may still be under government surveillance. You may also be at risk of going back to jail or even being deported if you can’t create an effective criminal defense against charges that you violated your probation or parole. In some cases, you could face these or other consequences even if the crime you committed wasn’t a violent or overly serious offense.
If you are charged with a crime, you’ll have an opportunity to avoid a conviction. You may be able to obtain an acquittal or favorable plea deal by casting doubt on witness testimony, physical evidence or anything else used to justify taking you to court. It’s also possible that you can have evidence suppressed, which may result in a case being dropped before a trial or before the case goes to a jury.