The Criminal Charges I See Most Often in Huntington
Burglary and trespass
Residential neighborhoods, construction sites, and after-hours businesses generate burglary and criminal trespass charges under Penal Law Article 140. The difference between a trespass violation and a felony burglary is usually a question of intent, and that question is where these cases are won or lost.
Petit larceny and grand larceny
Shoplifting at the Walt Whitman Shops and along the Route 110 retail corridor is a steady source of petit larceny arrests. Larceny involving employers, contractors, and shared accounts produces grand larceny charges under Penal Law Article 155. A first-time shoplifting case is frequently resolvable without a criminal record if it is handled correctly from the first appearance.
Drug possession
Drug possession arrests come out of traffic stops on Route 110, Jericho Turnpike, and Route 25A, and out of the village on weekend nights. Suffolk County has diversion and treatment options that an experienced lawyer can steer a case toward.
Domestic violence and orders of protection
A domestic call to the Second Precinct almost always results in an arrest, an order of protection, and an arraignment in Central Islip. These domestic violence cases move fast, and the decisions made at arraignment shape everything that follows. Violating the order of protection is a separate crime, criminal contempt, and it is one of the charges for which a judge can set bail.
Assault and criminal mischief
Bar and nightlife disputes in the village produce third-degree assault and criminal mischief charges. Video from village businesses is often the deciding evidence, and obtaining it before it is overwritten is a priority in the first days of a case.
Weapons
Gun and weapons charges under Penal Law Article 265 are prosecuted aggressively by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office and need immediate attention, because the mandatory exposure on the felony counts is severe.
Where a Huntington Criminal Case Is Actually Heard
The Town of Huntington does not operate a criminal justice court for town-wide arrests. Where your case goes depends on who arrested you and what you are charged with.
Second Precinct arrests go to Central Islip
The Suffolk County Police Department’s Second Precinct covers the bulk of the town: Huntington village, Huntington Station, South Huntington, Cold Spring Harbor, Greenlawn, Centerport, East Northport, Dix Hills, Melville, and the surrounding hamlets. A Second Precinct arrest for a misdemeanor or an unindicted felony is arraigned and prosecuted in the First District Court at the Cohalan Court Complex in Central Islip, the busiest courthouse in New York State. I have appeared there weekly for 31 years.
Indicted felonies go to Riverhead
If the District Attorney presents your case to a grand jury and obtains an indictment, it moves to Suffolk County Court at the Cromarty Court Complex in Riverhead. That is where serious felonies are tried, and where I have tried them to verdict.
Village arrests can stay local
Northport is part of the Town of Huntington, but the Village of Northport runs its own police department and its own court, Northport Village Justice Court. Arrests made inside the village are heard there, not in Central Islip. It is a busy local court and I appear there regularly. Lloyd Harbor and Huntington Bay also maintain their own police departments and small justice courts, and Asharoken has its own village force. A village court has its own prosecutor, its own justice, and its own rhythm, and familiarity with the room matters.
What Happens at Your First Appearance
Your first court date is the arraignment. The judge reads the charges, addresses release conditions, and, in any case with an alleged victim, will typically issue an order of protection. For most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies, New York’s bail reform means release without money bail, but there are exceptions, particularly in domestic violence and weapons cases, and whether your specific charge is bail-eligible is the most important question in the room that day.
Do not plead guilty at arraignment to make the case go away. That is how people end up with a permanent criminal record for a shoplifting or trespass case that could have been dismissed. Talk to me before you walk in.
CLICK HERE TO TEXT MY PERSONAL CELL: (631) 903-3733
How I Defend a Huntington Criminal Case
A Huntington arrest is not a conviction. The state has to prove its case, and the state makes mistakes. From the first conversation, I am looking for the pressure points.
Under New York’s discovery statute, Criminal Procedure Law § 245.20, the prosecution must turn over its evidence on a strict timeline. When it fails to do that, the speedy trial clock under CPL § 30.30 can run out, and I move to dismiss. I review every body-worn camera file, every Second Precinct report, every village surveillance clip, and every statement for constitutional problems. An unlawful stop on Route 110, a search without consent, a custodial interrogation without warnings, any of those can suppress the evidence the case depends on.
Where the case is strong, I negotiate from a position of knowing the prosecutors and judges and knowing what outcomes are realistically available in Central Islip, Riverhead, and Northport. Adjournments in contemplation of dismissal, reductions to non-criminal violations, treatment dispositions, and sealing under CPL § 160.59 are tools I use every week to keep Huntington clients off a criminal record. And I prepare every case as if it is going to trial. Prosecutors know that, and it changes the conversation. You can review my case results to see what that approach has produced.
Communities I Serve in the Town of Huntington
Huntington village, Huntington Station, South Huntington, Halesite, Huntington Bay, Lloyd Harbor, Cold Spring Harbor, West Hills, Greenlawn, Centerport, Northport, East Northport, Asharoken, Eatons Neck, Fort Salonga, Elwood, Commack, Dix Hills, and Melville. For arrests elsewhere in the county, see my Suffolk County criminal defense page.
