If you read or watch the news on a daily basis, you will consistently see stories about individuals charged with homicide in New York. In fact, in 2011, there was a 14% rise in homicides from 2010. The NYPD has a great variety of investigative tools and techniques to investigate homicides. Also, in each of the five boroughs, the NYPD has its own special homicide unit to dedicate manpower and resources to make arrests of individuals and charge them with homicide. In order to defend yourself against homicide accusations, you need experienced and tough homicide lawyers. The New York criminal defense lawyers at Sullivan & Brill can help you.

Generally defenses of homicide charges fall into two categories: Identification and Self-Defense. Often times the NYPD will arrest the wrong person for committing the homicide. This can occur when the NYPD receive a tip or hear "on the street" about the perpetrator of the homicide. However, these tips are not always credible. The New York homicide attorneys at Sullivan & Brill will fully scrutinize the quality of these accusations and the credibility of the accusers.

At other times, a homicide occurs but the one who committed it was legally justified in doing so – this is called justification or self-defense. In general, if one reasonably believes that he or someone else is in imminent danger of deadly harm, one is justified in using deadly force as protection. It is important to remember that a self-defense case is extremely fact sensitive – which means that the circumstances surrounding the homicide and subsequent use of self-defense determine whether one is legally justified or not.

It goes without saying that if you are accused of homicide in New York there is a lot at stake. The potential prison sentences are severe. If you or someone you know is arrested for homicide in New York, call the New York homicide lawyers at Sullivan & Brill immediately at 212-566-1000.

For the majority of criminal defense cases, the attorneys of Sullivan & Brill, LLP help clients throughout New York City (NYC - Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island), Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Westchester County, as well as the other NY counties. For federal matters, the firm's federal criminal lawyers assist clients throughout the United States.