{"id":375360,"date":"2017-05-02T18:48:58","date_gmt":"2017-05-02T23:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/new-york-law\/your-new-york-criminal-case-the-basics.html"},"modified":"2025-06-03T14:56:34","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T19:56:34","slug":"your-new-york-criminal-case-the-basics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/new-york-law\/your-new-york-criminal-case-the-basics.html","title":{"rendered":"What To Expect From Your New York City Criminal Case: The Basics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n \n
\n

What To Expect From Your New York City Criminal Case: the Basics<\/h1>\n
\n
\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
\n

This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
\n

The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

There’s a lot of misinformation out there regarding criminal law and procedure in New York City. Television and movies might have you believing that courts quickly resolve criminal matters, but criminal courts seldom work that smoothly.<\/p>\r\n

New York’s criminal justice system is as complex as its subway system. FindLaw offers this guide to a criminal case to clear up some of the confusion and to prepare you for the legal system. The New York City criminal system is separate from New York State’s system unless a suspect enters the Supreme Court for a felony case.<\/p>\r\n

Arrest<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

Entry into the criminal justice system begins in one of two ways. One is by grand jury indictment. The district attorney’s office refers a case to the grand jury, which conducts an investigation and then delivers an indictment if it determines there is enough evidence to warrant criminal charges.<\/p>\r\n

The other way is by arrest. If a law enforcement officer has probable cause to detain someone, they can do so to determine their identity. Probable cause means the officer believes the subject:<\/p>\r\n