Arrested? Call 24/7 (212) 619-3900





NYC Criminal Defense Attorney

Former Manhattan Prosecutor Fighting for You
An experienced and skilled New York City (NYC) criminal defense lawyer
can be the difference between a long jail sentence and getting your case
dismissed. Lance Fletcher, a former Manhattan Prosecutor with over 15
years of experience, will work tirelessly to get you the outcome that
you need. We focus on criminal cases in New York City. Criminal cases
typically happen when you've been arrested and you have an upcoming
court date or the NYPD has contacted you as part of an investigation into
you. Whether the charges against you are felonies or misdemeanors, convictions
have consequences so your criminal case may be the last and best opportunity
to protect your reputation and liberty.
The High Stakes of New York Criminal Law
Criminal convictions can be devastating and lead to life-altering consequences.
You can lose your freedom, your job, your professional license, your right
to vote, your ability to stay in your apartment, and you could make yourself
vulnerable to civil liability. Even a brief detention (incarceration)
in New York City often happens at Rikers Island, made notorious by chronic
staffing problems and recent violence. Arrests, even for non-violent offenses,
often entails being handcuffed, fingerprinted, and photographed. If you
have prior convictions, you may even face enhanced sentencing and if you
aren’t a citizen, you may face deportation. Any conviction, even
to a low-level offense, can trigger the loss of certain rights and privileges
or employment problems.
The Law Offices of Lance Fletcher defends clients facing criminal charges
in all New York City courts including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten
Island, and the Bronx. We defend cases before arrest (when the police
want to speak with you), following arrest and at the arraignment, after
the arraignment, and up to and including trial. We defend all types of
criminal cases including those that started with a desk appearance ticket
and all misdemeanors and felonies.
As a former Manhattan prosecutor, Lance Fletcher deploys a defense tailored
to your needs by utilizing private investigators, medical and forensic
experts, and conducting an independent investigation when needed to mount
the most effective defense of your case possible. Contacts us for a consultation
to discuss the details of your arrest and the plan for your upcoming court date.
The ins and outs of New York City Criminal Law
In New York City, there are two ways you may get arrested.
Desk Appearance Tickets. If you’ve been handcuffed and fingerprinted
and released with a white piece of paper with a court date on it and that
reads “Desk Appearance Ticket” at the top, you’ve been
issued a Desk Appearance Ticket which was given to you instead of bringing
you to see a judge right away. Desk Appearance Tickets became more common
in the 2000s because they saved the City time and effort since by issuing
a Desk Appearance Ticket, the arresting officer didn’t have to lodge
you in a holding cell downtown and the City has much more time to draft
and file charges.
Central Booking. If you’ve been handcuffed, fingerprinted, and brought
to see a criminal court judge within about 24-36 hours of your arrest,
you were brought to central booking for your arrest. Central booking is
where you are brought for post-arrest processing and to wait to see the
judge. From central booking, you are taken into a courtroom for arraignment.
If bail is set, you are then brought to a detention facility such as Rikers
Island. If no bail is set, you may be released from the courtroom. Depending
on what your attorney says or doesn’t say, or what you say or don’t
say during the arraignment could have significant consequences for you
and your case going forward.
In New York, there are three group of offenses
Violations. In New York, violations are criminal offenses that are punishable by
up to 15 days in jail and include charges such as disorderly conduct,
jay-walking, and certain traffic tickets and other routine offenses.
Misdemeanors. In New York, misdemeanors are crimes that are punishable by up to 364
days in jail and include offenses such as assault, DWI, theft of services,
and criminal mischief (property damage).
Felonies. In New York, felonies are the most serious criminal offense and are punishable
by over a year of jail and include offenses such as gun possession, felony
assault, felony DWI, grand larceny, robbery, burglary, rape, and murder.
Some situations can be charged either as a felony or misdemeanor, depending
on how the prosecutor files it. For example, if you are accused of damaging
property and the damage is over $250, the prosecutor may charge this as
a felony or misdemeanor. Additionally, some charges are generally misdemeanors
but if it’s not your first time, it could become charged as a felony.
For example, your first DWI may be a misdemeanor but your second one might
be charged as a felony.
The Law Offices of Lance Fletcher NYC Defense Attorney Practice Areas
At the Law Offices of Lance Fletcher, we handle a wide array of criminal
accusations ranging from non-violent offenses to violent felonies. Lance
Fletcher, a former Manhattan prosecutor, has over 15 years of litigating
criminal cases in New York City courts.
Our practice areas include:
Accidents, Leaving the Scene
Assault
Obstruction of breathing and Strangulation
Burglary
Criminal Court Appearance Tickets - NYPD Summons
Criminal Penalties
Criminal Mischief
Criminal Contempt (violation of an order of protection)
Desk Appearance Tickets
Disorderly Conduct
Domestic Violence
Driving with Suspended License
Driving: Aggravated Unlicensed Operation
Drug Possession
Drunk Driving / DWI DUI
Federal Crimes
Firearm Possession
Forcible touching (PL 13052)
Forgery
Fraud
Grand Larceny
Grand Larceny Penalties
Gun Possession Defense Lawyer
Harassment
Homicide
Identity Theft (if you've been arrested for Identity theft)
Illegal Knives
Menacing (PL 12015 12014 & 12013)
Larceny
Lewdness & Exposure
Rape
Reckless Driving
Resisting Arrest (PL 20530)
Robbery
Sex Crimes
Sexual Abuse (PL 13055, 13060, 13065)
Stolen Property (PL 16540 16545 16550 16552)
Shoplifting
Stalking
Summonses (Pink tickets)
Theft of Services
Warrants
Unlawful surveillance and upskirting
All other situations where you've been arrested or ticketed and have
an upcoming court date
If you or a loved one is facing charges in NYC,
contact us today for a consultation.
The Law Offices of Lance Fletcher, PLLC - downtown Manhattan in One World
Trade Center (Freedom Tower)
Call or Text:
212-619-3900
Office Address:
(By appointment)
One World Trade Center, 85th Floor
New York, NY, 10007
Lance Fletcher Could be the
Best NYC Criminal Defense Attorney for your Case
Being charged with a crime is about as serious as it gets. The effects
of a conviction can lead to jail and a permanent record. In selecting
the right lawyer for your case, you should consider these reasons why
we may be the best law firm for you.
1. How many years has Lance Fletcher been practicing law? Over 18 years.
Law school teaches you the general areas of US law because the law school
doesn’t know what state their students are going to practice law
in. Laws vary drastically from state to state and even cities and counties
have their own local laws. Attorneys get most of their state and local
experience from practicing law after law school so a recent graduate may
still be very unfamiliar with what a NYC criminal case looks like.
Lawyers never stop learning. No two cases are ever the same so lawyers
continue to learn year after year. Lawyers with more years of experience
have seen more and can apply this experience to help you get the outcome
that you need.
2. How many of these years did Lance Fletcher spend practicing
criminal law in NYC?
Over 18 years
“A jack of all trades, master of none” is a figure of speech
to refer to a person who has dabbled in many skills rather than gaining
expertise by focusing on one.
If your charged with a crime, you probably want an experienced criminal
lawyer by your side rather than a lawyer who handles family law and immigration
in addition to criminal law. Lance Fletcher has over 18 years of experience
practicing criminal law in New York City and has actual trial experience
with misdemeanors and felonies.
3. Does Lance Fletcher have unique experience such as being a former prosecutor
in New York City? Yes and Yes.
They say that location is everything with property. So too with legal representation.
A New York City lawyer is going to be a good fit for a New York City Case
because they will be more familiar with local court room procedure and
the different judges that are likely to preside over your case. Lance
Fletcher was a prosecutor at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office
and prior to being a prosecutor, Lance Fletcher interned with the Supervising
Judge of Manhattan Criminal Court. Lance Fletcher's other unique experience
includes formerly interning at the U.S. Department and other judicial
internships.
You can read more about Lance's Background here.
4. Has Lance Fletcher defended a case like mine before? How many times? Lance Fletcher often feels like he's seen it all but brings an open
mind and fresh perspective to every new case.
Ask yourself, how many times has a lawyer handled a case like mine? Has
the lawyer handled any cases that were more serious than mine? Experience
defending similar cases means that a lawyer many be more familiar with
certain defenses or strategies that work for the type of charges you face.
Lance Fletcher has handled over 1000 misdemeanors and hundreds of felonies
in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and The Bronx with charges
spanning the penal law and including violent, non-violent, sex offenses,
and various larcenies.
5. Does Lance Fletcher have actual criminal trial experience? Yes.
Most criminal cases don’t go to trial. However, any criminal case
could go to trial and it is often impossible to predict with absolute
certainty which case will go to trial and which case won’t. So,
it’s better if your criminal defense attorney has trial experience
because that way you’ll be prepared in the event that you go to
trial. Also, having actual trial experience will help your attorney understand
if the prosecutor has a strong or weak case against you. Lance Fletcher
has conducted numerous jury trials and bench trials over his career. These
trials involved forensic experts, eye witnesses, lengthy cross and direct
examination, and various complex legal issues.
6. Would Lance Fletcher personally appear with me in court – or send
a junior associate? Lance Fletcher will appear with you in court.
Would you be happy if you hired an experienced, reputable attorney only
to be greeted by his/her junior associate in court? For this reason, Lance
Fletcher will appear with you in court to fight to get the outcome that you need.
7. Where is Lance Fletcher's office? Lance Fletcher's office is
in downtown Manhattan. Contact us for a consultation.
Are they far away from NYC? Is there a place where I can meet the Attorney
and discuss the case? Lance Fletcher's office is conveniently located
in downtown Manhattan close to all forms of transportation.
8. Is Lance Fletcher willing to meet in-person for the consultation? Absolutely.
Somethings are best bought quickly over the Internet but a quality Attorney
probably isn’t one of those things. Sitting down with the Attorney
is a sign that you and the Attorney take your case seriously because you’re
both willing take the time to go over things properly. When possible and
if you've contacted us about an open NYC criminal case, Lance Fletcher
can meet with you for a case evaluation. However, if you live far away
other arrangements can be made.
9. Does Lance Fletcher have a plan for my case that makes sense to me? Yes, this is a possibility
Criminal law can be complicated but the way your attorney explains it to
you should not sound complicated. It’s important that you understand
your legal situation and the plan for what your lawyer is going to do
in a way that you could easily explain to someone else. When Lance Fletcher
meets with you for a consultation regarding a NYC criminal case, he will
go over your options and discuss a plan to fight in court to get it resolved
in a way that meets with your definition of winning.
10. Does Lance Fletcher have an informative website? Hopefully you find what you're looking for on this website
An attorney website is an excellent tool for seeing what areas the lawyer
focuses on, what their experience is, and where they are located. It makes
a lawyer more established because the lawyer is displaying their credentials
and experience in a very visible and verifiable way. The Law Offices of
Lance Fletcher, PLLC's website is a valuable tool to help you select
the best NYC criminal defense attorney for you and for your case.
11. Do I feel comfortable with Lance Fletcher?
Contact us and find out why Clients choose Lance Fletcher time and time again!
This is probably the most important thing. The right attorney for your
case should be able to explain the plan of action in a way you can understand.
Because any attorney client relationship is based on mutual trust, the
fact that you feel comfortable with your attorney is a good sign that
you’re in good hands. Lance Fletcher believes that a winning defense
starts with a solid attorney-client relationship.
Any outcome in court can have life-long consequences. Having a criminal
record can cause permanent employment, immigration, and housing problems.
Getting the best representation means finding the right attorney for you
and your case. Hopefully you find the above factors helpful. The main
thing is that your Attorney fits your case and your situation. This fit
comes from a combination of factors so it’s important to consider
everything that you can.